
_, :') ' ,,. 

|V« r : «'« • I, « ' I .- J;.- . 



-«< (I. I i 



■j:, 






t\ 




h !.■; ... ,4,... i,( 



iJ. 



I (I '^ I t '! <• ' 

Ml.. :n I 



<y^ 



1. t! 



:^r':<^: ■ 










iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iirTiiiTnTrviTfTii 1 1 ■ i ■ i ■ 



3 



• ■ HI li HW I IIlH I MW 



/ 

PEOVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY: 



A BOOK OF 



THOUGHTS AND AEGUMENTS3 



ORIGINALLY TREATED 



BY 

MARTIN FARaUHAR TUPPER, ESa., M.A., 

Of Christchurch, Oxford. 

AUTHOR OP " THE CROCK OF GOLD," ETC. 



NEW YORK: ^ 

WILEY & PUTNAM, 161 BROADWAY. 
1847. 






^N fiXCHANQJR 



MAI l';^ 1^08 



Drew Theoh fiuou 



ROBERT CRAIGHEAD, PRINTER, 
112 FULTON STREET. 



T. B. SMITH, STEREOTYPER, 
"216 WILLIAM STREET. 



CONTENTS. 



FIRST SERIES. 



Pag-e 
Prefatory --------- __--_ 7 

The Words of Wisdom ---- -_-___ 9 

Of Truth in Things False --------- h 

Of Anticipation- ------------- 15 

Of Hidden Uses ------------- 17 

Of Compensation -------------22 

Of Indirect Influences ----------27 

Of Memory - 33 

The Dream of Ambition ----------37 

Of Subjection --------------39 

Of Rest --' --._-_-__ 50 

Of Humility ---------------53 

Of Pride --- 58 

Of Experience --------------60 

Of Estimating Character -- 63 

Of Hatred and Anger -----------73 

Of Good in Things Evil --------- 74 

Of Prayer --- -__._-_____ gO 

The Lord's Prayer ,*.------ 85 

Of Discretion -------------- 87 

Of Trifles --90 

Of Recreation --------------93 

The Train of Religion 98 



iv CONTENTS. 

Page 
Of a Trinity --------------- lOO 

Of Thinking -----------_--- i05 

Of Speaking ----- - _______ 112 

Of Reading ----_-------..-_ ug 

Of Writing ---- _______ j[18 

Of Wealth -- ________ 222 

Of Invention - _.--______ 128 

Of Ridicule ___________ 131 

Of Commendation ------------ 133 

Of Self-Acquaintance - --------- 133 

Of Cruelty to Animals ---------_] 45 

Of Friendship ---_--_-______ ^43 

Of Love --------------.-153 

Of Marriage -------_-----__ 155 

Of Education _---_-___-__-- 16I 
Of Tolerance ------____---_ 172 

Of Sorrow --- -_-___-____ 175 

Of Joy - - ----- 178 

SECOND SERIES. 

Introductory -_-------. ----- 185 

Of Cheerfulness --------'---- 188 

Of Yesterday -------------- 193 

Of To-day ----- _ _ _ _ 198 

Of To-morrow _---_--------- 201 

Of Authorship -------------- 204 

Of Mystery --------------- 212 

Of Gifts ----- -221 

Of Beauty ---------------- 227 

Of Fame - 243 

Of Flattery --------------- 252 

Of Neglect --------------- 262 

Of Contentment ------------- 271 

Of Live -- 277 



CONTENTS. • V 

Page 

Of Death ----- _--_-284 

Of Immortality -- ------------ 292 

Of Ideas ----.------------ 314 

Of Names ---------------- 318 

Of Things --- 324 

Of Faith - - - ----- 328 

Of Honesty --------------- 339 

Of Society --------------- 344 

Of Solitude -- ------------- 354 

The End - ^ - ------------- 358 

Notes - ■ -__-------. 365 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. 



PREFATORY. 

Thoughts, that have tarried in my mind, and peopled its 

inner ch-ambers. 
The sober children of reason, or desultory train of fancy ; 
Clear running wine of conviction, with the scum and the 

lees of speculation ; 
Corn from the sheaves of science, with stubble from mine 

own garner ; 
Searchings after Truth, that have tracked her secret lodes, 
And come up again to the surface-world, with a knowledge 

grounded deeper ; 
Arguments of high scope, that have soared to the keystone of 

heaven. 
And thence have swooped to their certain mark, as the fal- 
con to i£s quarry ; 
The fruits I have gathered of prudence, the ripened harvest 

of my musings. 
These commend I unto thee, O docile scholar of Wisdom, 
These I give to thy gentle heart, thou lover of the right. 



What though a guilty man renev/ that hallowed theme, 
And strike with feebler hand the harp of Sirach's son 1 
What, though a youthful tongue take up that ancient parable, 
And utter faintly forth dark sayings as of old 1 
Sweet is the virgin honey, though the wild bee have stored 
it in a reed ; 



PREFATORY. 



[series I. 



And bright the jewelled band, that circleth an Ethiop's 

arm ; 
Pui'e are the grains of gold in the turbid stream of Ganges, 
And fair the living flowers, that spring from the dull cold 

sod. 
Wherefore, thou gentle student, bend thine ear to my speech, 
For I also am as thou art ; our hearts can commune together : 
To meanest m itters will I stoop, for mean is the lot of mortal ; 
I will rise to noblest themes, for the soul hath an heritage of 

glory : 
The passions of puny man ; the majestic characters of God ; 
Tiie feverish shadows of time, and the mighty substance of 

eternity. 



Commend thy mind unto candor, and grudge not as though 

thou hadst a teacher, 
Nor scorn angelic Truth for the sake of her evil herald ; 
Heed not him, but hear his words, and care not whence they 

come ; 
The viewless winds might whisper them, the billows roar 

them forth, ' 

The mean unconscious sedge sigh them in the ear of evening, 
Or the mind of pride conceive, and the mouth of folly speak 

them. 
Lo now, I stand not forth laying hold on spear and buckler, 
I come a man of peace, to comfort, not to combat ; 
With soft persuasive speech to charm thy patient ear, 
Giving the hand of fellowship, acknowledging the heart of 

sympathy : 
Let us walk together as friends in the shaded paths of medi- 
tation. 
Nor Judgment set his seal until he hath poised his balance ; 
That the chastenings of mild reproof may meet unwitting 

error, 
And Charity not be a stranger at the board that is spread for 

brothers. 



SERIES I.J THE WORDS OF WISDOM. 



THE WORDS OF WISDOM. 

Few and precious are the words which the lips of Wisdom 
utter : 

To what shall their rarity be likened 1 What price shall 
count their worth 1 

Perfect and much to be desired, and giving joy with riches. 

No lovely thing on earth can picture all their beauty. 

They be chance pearls, flung among the rocks by the sullen 
waters of Oblivion, 

Which Diligence loveth to gather, and hang around the neck 
of Memory ; 

They be white-winged seeds of happiness, wafted from the 
islands of the blessed, 

Which Thought carefully tendeth, in the kindly garden of 
the heart ; 

They be sproutings of an harvest for eternity, bursting 
through the tilth of time. 

Green promise of the golden wheat, that yieldeth angels' 
food; 

They be drops of the crystal dew, which the wings of se- 
raphs scatter, 

When on some brighter Sabbath, their plumes quiver most 
with delight ; 

Such, and so precious, are the words which the lips of Wis- 
dom utter. 



Yet more, for the half is not said, of their might, and dignity, 

and value ; 
For live-giving be they and glorious, redolent of sanctity and 

heaven : 
As the fumes of hallowed incense, that veil the throne of 

the Most High ; 



10 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



As the beaded bubbles that sparkle on the run of the cup of 
immortality ; 

As wreaths of the rainbow spray, from the pure cataracts of 
Truth. 

Such, and so precious, are the words which the lips of Wis- 
dom utter. 

Yet once again, loving student, suffer the praises of thy 

teacher. 
For verily the sun of the mind, and the life of the heart, is 

Wisdom : 
She is pure and full of light, crowning grey hairs with lustre. 
And kindling the eye of youth with a fire not its own ; 
And her words, whereunto canst thou liken them 1 for earth 

cannot show their peers : 
They be grains of the diamond sand, the radiant floor of 

heaven, 
Rising in sunny dust behind the chariot of God ; 
They be flashes of the day-spring from on high, shed from 

the windows of the skies ; 
They be streams of living waters, fresh from the fountain of 

Intelligence ; 
Such, and so precious, are the words which the lips of Wis- 
dom utter. 



For these shall guide tliec well, and guard thee on thy way ; 
And wanting all beside, with these shalt thou be rich : 
Though all around be v.oe, these shall make thee happy ; 
Though all within be pain, these shall bring thee health ; 
Thy good shall grow into ripeness, thine evil wither and 

decay. 
And Wisdom's words shall sweetly charm thy doubtful into 

virtues : 
Meanness shall then be frugal t^are ; where shame was, thou 

art modest ; 



SERIES I.J OF TRUTH IN THINGS FALSE. 



11 



Cowardice riseth into caution, rashness is sobered into cou- 
rage ; 

The wrathful spirit, rendering a reason, standeth justified in 
anger, 

The idle hand hath fair excuse, propping the thoughtful 
forehead. 

Life shall have no labyrinth but thy steps can track it, 

For thou hast a silken clue, to lead thee through the dark- 
ness: 

The rampant Minotaur of ignorance shall perish at thy 
coming, 

And thine enfranchised fellows hail thy white victorious 
sails. (^) 

Wherefore, friend and scholar, hear the words of Wisdom ; 

Whether she speaketh to thy soul in the full chords of reve- 
lalion; 

In the teaching earth, or air, or sea ; in the still melodies of 
thought. 

Or, haply, in the humbler strains that would detain thee 
here. 



OF TRUTH IN THINGS FALSE. 



Error is a hardy plant ; it flourisheth in every soil ; 

In the heart of the wise and good, alike with the wicked and 
foolish ; 

For there is no error so crooked, but it hath in it some lines 
of truth ; 

Nor is any poison so deadly, that it serveth not some whole- 
some use : 

And the just man, enamored of the right, is blinded by the 
speciousness of wrong, 

And the prudent, perceiving an advantage, is content to over- 
look the harm. 



12 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



On all things created remaineth the half-effaced signature of 

God, 
Somewhat of fair and good, though blotted by the finger of 

cori;uption : 
And if error cometh in like a flood, it mixeth with streams of 

truth, 
And the Adversary loveth to have it so, for thereby many 

are decoyed. 
Providence is dark in its permissions ; ^^^et one day, when all 

is known^ 
The universe of reason shall acknowledge how just and 

good were they ; 
For the wise man leaneth on his wisdom, and the righteous 

trusteth to his righteousness. 
And those who thirst for independence, are suffered to drink 

of disappointment. 
Wherefore 'J-^to prove and humble them ; and to teach the 

idolators of truth, 
That it is but the ladder unto Him, on whom only they 

should trust. 



There is truth in the wildest scheme that imaginative heat 

hath engendered. 
And a man may gather somewhat from the crudest theories 

of fancy : 
The alchemist laboreth in folly, but catcheth chance gleams 

of wisdom, . 
And findeth out many inventions, though his crucible breed 

not gold ; 
The sinner, toying with witchcraft, thinketh to delude his 

fellows, 
But there be very spirits of evil, and what if they come at 

his bidding 1 
He is a bold bad man who dareth to tamper with the dead ; 
For their whereabout lieth in a mystery — that vestibule 

leading to Eternity, 



SERIES I.J OF TRUTH IN THINGS FALSE. 



13 



The waiting-room for unclad ghosts, before the presence- 
chamber of their King : 

Mind may act upon mind, though bodies be far divided ; 

For the life is in the blood, but souls communicate unseen : 

And the heat of an excited intellect, radiating to its fellows, 

Doth kindle dry leaves afar off, while the green wood around 
it is unwarmed. 

The dog may have a spirit, as well as his brutal master ; 

A spirit to live in happiness ; for why should he be robbed 
• of his existence 1 

Hath he not a conscience of evil, a glimmer of moral sense. 

Love and hatred, courage and fear, and visible shame and 
pride 1 

There may be a future rest for the patient victims of the 
cruel ; 

And a season allotted for their bliss, to compensate for unjust 
suffering. 

Spurn not at seeming error, but dig below its surface for the 
truth ; 

And beware of seeming truths, that grow on the roots of 
error : 

For comely are the apples that spring from the Dead Sea's 
cursed shore : 

But within are they dust and ashes, and the hand that pluck- 
ed them shall rue it. 



A frequent similar effect argueth a constant cause : 

Yet who hath counted the links that bind an omen to its 
issue 1 

Who hath expounded the law that rendereth calamities gre- 
garious, 

Pressing down with yet more woes the heavy-laden mourn- 
er? 

Who knoweth wherefore a monsoon should swell the sails 

, of the prosperous. 

Blithely speeding on their course the children of good luck 1 
2 



14 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Who hath companioned a vision from the horn or ivory 

gate, (2) 
Or met another's mind in his, and explained its presence 1 
There is a secret somewhat in antipathies ; and love is 

more than fancy ; 
Yea, and a palpable notice warneth of an instant danger ; 
For the soul hath its feelers, cobwebs floating on the wind, 
That catch events in their approach with sure and apt pre- 
sentiment. 
So that some halo of attraction heraldeth a coming friend. 
Investing in his likeness the stranger that passed on before ; 
And while the word is in thy mouth, behold thy word ful- 
filled, 
And he of whom we spake can answer for himself. 
O man, little hast thou learnt of truth in things most true, 
How therefore shall thy blindness wot of truth in things 

most false 1 
Thou hast not yet perceived the causes of life or motion, 
How then canst thou define the subtle sympathies of mind ? 
For the spirit, sharpest and strongest when disease hath rent 

the body. 
Hath welcomed kindred spirits in nightly visitations. 
Or learnt from restless ghosts dark secrets of the living. 
And helped slow justice to her prey by the dreadful teaching 
of a dream. 



Verily, there is nothing so true, that the damps of error 
have not warped it ; 

Verily, there is nothing so false, that a sparkle of truth is not 
in it. 

For the enemy, the father of lies, the giant Upas of crea- 
tion. 

Whose deadly shade hath blasted this once green garden of 
the Lord, 

Can but pervert the good, but may not create the evil ; 



SERIES I.] 



OF ANTICIPATION. 



15 



He destroyeth, but cannot build ; for he is not antagonist 
deity: 

Mighty is his stolen power, yet is he a creature and a sub- 
ject ; 

Not a maker of abstract wrong, but a spoiler of concrete 
right : 

The fiend hath not a royal crown ; he is but a prowling rob- 
ber, 

Sufiered, for some mysterious end, to haunt the King's high- 
way ; 

And the keen sword he beareth, once was a simple plough- 
share ; 

Yea, and his panoply of error is but a distortion of the truth : 

The sickle that once reaped righteousness, beaten from its 
useful curve, 

With axe, and spike, and bar, headeth the marauder*s hal- 
bert. 

Seek not further, O man, to solve the dark riddle of sin ; 

Suffice it, that thine own bad heart is to thee thine origin of 
evil. 



OF ANTICIPATION. 



Thou hast seen many sorrows, travel-stained pilgrim of the 
world, 

But that which hath vexed thee most, hath been the look- 
ing for evil ; 

And though calamities have crossed thee, and misery been 
heaped on thy head, 

Yet ills that never happened, have chiefly made thee 
wretched. 

The sting of pain and the edge of pleasure are blunted by 
long expectation, 

For the gall and the balm alike are diluted in the waters of 
patience : 



IQ 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



And often thou sippest sweetness, ere the cup is dashed from 
thy lip ; 

Or drainest the gall of fear, while evil is passing by thy 
dwelling. 

A m?.n too careful of danger liveth in continual torment, 

But a cheerful expecter of the best hath a fountain of joy 
within him : 

Yea, though the breath of disappointment should chill the 
sanguine heart, 

Speedily gloweth it again, warmed by the live embers of 
hope ; 

Though the black and heavy surge close above the head for 
a moment. 

Yet the happy buoyancy of Confidence riseth superior to 
Despair. 

Verily, evils may be courted, may be wooed and won by dis- 
trust ; 

For the wise Physician of our weal loveth not an unbeliev- 
ing spirit ; 

And to those giveth he good, who rely on his hand for good; 

And those leaveth he to evil, who fear, but trust him not. 

Ask for good, and hope it ; for the ocean of good is fathomless ; 

Ask for good, and have it ; for thy Friend would see thee 
happy . 

But to the timid heart, to the child of unbelief and dread. 

That leaneth on his own weak staff, and trusteth the sight 
of his eyes, 

The evil he feared shall come, for the soil is ready for the 
seed. 

And suspicion hath coldly put aside the hand that was ready 
to help him. 

Therefore look up, sad spirit ; be strong, thou coward heart, 

Or fear will make thee wretched, though evil follow not be- 
hind : 

Cease to anticipate misfortune, — there are still many chances 
of escape ; 



SERIES I.[ 



OF HIDDEN USES. 



17 



But if it come, be courageous : face it, and conquer thy cala- 
mity. 

There is not an enemy so stout as to storm and take the for- 
tress of the mind, 

Unless its infirmity turn traitor, and Fear unbar the gates. 

The valiant standeth as a rock, and the billows break upon 
him ; 

The timorous is a skiff unmoored, tossed and mocked at by a 
ripple ; 

The valiant holdeth fast to good, till evil wrench it from him ; 

The timorous casteth it aside, to meet the worst half way : 

Yet oftentimes is evil but a braggart, that provoke th and will 
not fight ; 

Or the feint of a subtle fencer, who measureth his thrust 
elsewhere : 

Or perchance a blessing in a masque, sent to try thy trust. 

The precious smiting of a friend, whose frowns are all in love : 

Often the storm threateneth, but is driven to other climes. 

And the weak hath quailed in fear, while the firm hath been 
glad in his confidence. 



OF HIDDEN USES 



The sea-wort (3) floating on the waves, or rolled up high 

along the shore, 
Ye counted useless and vile, heaping on it names of contempt : 
Yet hath it gloriously triumphed, and man been humbled in 

his ignorance. 
For health is in the freshness of its savor, and it cumbereth 

the beach with wealth ; 
Comforting the tossings of pain with its violet-tinctured 

essence 
And by its humbler ashes enriching many proud. 
Be this, then, a lesson to thy soul, that thou reckon nothing 

worthless. 



18 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Because thou heedest not its use, nor knowest the virtues 

thereof. 
And herein, as thou walkest by the sea, shall weeds be a 

type and an earnest 
Of the stored and uncounted riches lying hid in all creatures 

of God: 
There be flowers making glad the desert, and roots fattening 

the soil. 
And jewels in the secret deep, scattered among groves of coral, 
And comforts to crown all Avishes, and aids unto ever}^ need, 
Influences yet unthought, and virtues, and many inventions. 
And uses above and around, which man hath not yet regarded. 
Not long to charm away disease, hath the crocus (i) yielded 

up its bulb. 
Nor the willow lent its bark, nor the nightshade its vanquished 

poison ; 
Not long hath the twisted leaf, the fragrant gift of China, 
Nor that nutritious root, the boon of far Peru, 
Nor the many-colored dahlia, nor the gorgeous flaunting cactus, 
Nor the multitude of fruits and flowers ministered to life and 

luxury ; 
Even so, there be virtues yet unknown in the wasted foliage 

of the elm, 
In the sun-dried harebell of the downs, and the hyacinth 

drinking in the meadow. 
In the sycamore's winged fruit, and the facet-cut cones of the 

cedar; 
And the pansy and bright geranium live not alone for beauty 
Nor the waxen flower of the arbute, though it dieth in a day, 
Nor the sculptured crest of the fir, unseen but by the stars ; 
And the meanest weed of the garden serveth unto many uses, 
The salt tamarisk, and juicy flag, the freckled orchis, and the 

daisy. 
The world may laugh at famine when forest-trees yield bread, 
When acorns give out fragrant drink, (J) and the sap of the 

linden is as fatness : 



SERIES I.] 



OF HIDDEN USES. 



19 



For every green herb, from the lotus to the darnel, 
Is rich with delicate aids to help incurious man. 



I 



Still, Mind is up and stirring, and pryeth in the corners of 

contrivance, 
Often from the dark recesses picking out bright seeds of truth : 
Knowledge hath clipped the lightning's wings, and mewed it 

up for a purpose. 
Training to some domestic task the fiery bird of heaven ; 
Tamed is the spirit of the storm, to slave in all peaceful arts. 
To walk with husbandry and science ; to stand in the 

vanguard against death : 
And the chemist balanceth his elements with more than 

magic skill. 
Commanding stones that they be bread, and draining 

sweetness out of wormwood. 
Yet man, heedless of a God, counteth up vain reckonings. 
Fearing to be jostled and starved out, by the too prolific 

increase of his kind ; 
And asketh, in unbelieving dread, for how few years to come 
Will the black cellars of the world yield unto him fuel for 

his winter. 
Might not the wide waste sea be pent within narrower 

bounds 1 
Might not the arm of diligence make the tangled wilderness 

a garden 1 
And for aught thou canst tell, there may be a thousand 

methods 
Of comforting thy limbs in warmth, though thou kindle not a 

spark. 
Fear not, son of man, for thyself nor thy seed: — with a 

multitude is plenty ; 
God's blessing giveth increase, and with it larger than enough. 

Search out the wisdom of nature, there is depth in all her 
doings ; 



20 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



She seemeth prodigal of power, yet her rules are the maxims 

offrugnlity: 
The plant refresheth the air, and the earth filtereth the 

water, 
And dews are sucked into the cloud, dropping fatness on the 

world : 
She hath, on a mighty scale, the general use for all things ; 
Yet hath she specially for each its microscopic purpose : 
There is use in the prisoned air, that swelleth the pods of 

the laburnum ; 
Design in the venomed thorns,^that sentinel the leaves of the 

nettle ; 
A final cause for the aromatic gum, that congealeth the moss 

around a rose • 
A reason for each blade of grass, that reareth its small spire. 
How knoweth discontented man what a train of ills might 

follow. 
If the lowest menial of nature knew not her secret oflSce? 
If the thistle never sprang up, to mock the loose husbandry 

of indolence, 
Or the pestilence never swept away an unknown curse from 

among men 1 
Would ye crush the buzzing myriads that float on the breath 

of the evening 1 
Would ye trample the creatures of God that people the 

rotting fruit 1 
Would ye suffer no mildew forest to stain the unhealthy wall, 
Nor a noisome savor to exhale from the pool that breedeth 

disease 1 
Pain is useful unto man, for it teacheth him to guard his life, 
And the fetid vapors of the fen warn him to fly from danger : 
And the meditative mind, looking on, winneth good food for 

its hunger. 
Seeing the wholesome root bring forth a poisonous berry ; 
For otherwhile falleth it out that truth, driven to extremities, 
Yieldeth bitter folly as the spoilt fruit of wisdom. 



SERIES I.] 



OF HIDDEN USES. 



21 



O, blinded is thine eye, if it see not just aptitude in all things ; 
O, frozen Is thy heart, if it glow not with gratitude for all 

things ; 
In the perfect circle of creation not an atom could be spared, 
From earth's magnetic zone to the bindweed round a 

hawthorn. 



The sage, and the beetle at his feet, hath each a ministration 

to perform ; 
The briar and the palm have the wages of life, rendering 

secret service. 
Neither is it thus alone with the definite existences of matter ; 
But motion and sound, circumstance and quality, yea, all 

things h^ve their office. 
The zephyr playing with an aspen leaf, — the earthquake that 

rendeth a continent ; 
The moonbeam silvering a ruined arch, — the desert wave 

dashing up a pyramid ; 
The thunder of jarring icebergs, — the stops of a shepherd's 

pipe; 
The howl of the tiger in the glen, — and the wood-dove calling 

to her mate ; 
The vulture's cruel rage, — the grace of the stately swan ; 
The fierceness looking from the lynx's eye, and the dull 

stupor of the sloth : 
To these, and to all, is there added each its use, though man 

considereth it lightly ; 
For Power hath ordained nothing which Economy saw not 

needful. 



All things being are essential to the vast ubiquity of God ; 
Neither is there one thing overmuch, nor freed from honorable 

servitude. 
Were there not a need-be of wisdom, nothing would be as it is ; 
For essence without necessity argueth a moral weakness. 



22 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



We look through a glass darkly, we catch but glimpses of 

truth ; 
But, doubtless, the sailing of a cloud hath Providence to its 

pilot, 
Doubtless, the root of an oak is gnarled for a special purpose. 
The foreknown station of a rush is as fixed as the station of 

a king, 
And chaff from the hand of a winnower, steered as the stars 

in their courses. 
Man liveth only in himself, but the Lord liveth in all things ; 
And His pervading unity quickeneth the whole creation. 
Man doeth one thing at once, nor can he think two thoughts 

together ; 
But God compasseth all things, mantling the globe like air : 
And we render homage to His wisdom, seeing use in all His 

creatures. 
For, perchance, the universe would die, were not all things 

as they are. 



OF COMPENSATION. 



Equal is the government of heaven in allotting pleasures 

among men. 
And just the everlasting law, that hath wedded happiness to 

virtue : 
For verily on all things else broodeth disappointment with 

care. 
That childish man may be taught the shallowness of earthly 

enjoyment. 
Wherefore, ye that have enough, envy ye the rich man his 

abundance 1 
Wherefore, daughters of affluence, covet ye the cottager's 

content 1 
Take the good with the evil, for ye all are pensioners of God, 
And none may choose or refuse the cup His wisdom mixeth. 



SERIES I.J 



OF COMPENSATION. 



23 



The poor man rejoiceth at his toil, and his daily bread is 

sweet to him : 
Content with present good he looketh not for evil to the future. 
The rich man languisheth with sloth, and findeth pleasure 

in nothing. 
He lockcth up care with his gold, and feareth the fickleness 

of fortune. 
Can a cup contain within itself the measure of a bucket? 
Or the straitened appetites of man drink more than their fill 

of luxury 1 
There is a limit to enjoyment, though the sources of wealth 

be boundless, 
And the choicest pleasures of life lie within the ring of 

moderation. 



Also, though penury and pain be real and bitter evils, 

I would reason with the poor afflicted, for he is not so 

wretched as he seemeth. 
What right hath an offender to complain, though others 

escape punishment, 
If the stripes of earned misfortune overtake him in his sin 1 
Wherefore not endure with resignation the evils thou canst 

not avert 1 
For the coward pain will flee, if thou meet him as a man : 
Consider whatever be thy fate, that it might and ought to 

have been worse. 
And that it lieth in thy hand to gather even blessings from 

afflictions : 
Bethink thee, wherefore were they sent 1 and hath not use 

blunted their keenness 7 
Need hope, and patience, and courage, be strangers to the 

meanest hovel 1 
Thou art in an evil case, — It were cruel to deny to thee 

compassion. 
But there is not unmitigated ill in the sharpest of this world's 

sorrows : 



24 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



I touch not the sore of thy guilt ; but of human griefs 1 

counsel thee, 
Cast off the weakness of regret, and gird thee to redeem thy 

loss. 
Thou hast gained, in the furnace of affliction, self-knowledge, 

patience, and humility, 
And these be as precious ore, that waiteth the skill of the 

coiner : 
Despise not the blessings of adversity, nor the gain thou hast 

earned so hardly. 
And now thou hast drained the bitter, take heed that thou 

lose not the sweet. 



Power is seldom innocent, and envy is the yoke-fellow of 

eminence ; 
And the rust of the miser's riches wasteth his soul as a canker. 
The poor man counteth not the cost at which such wealth 

hath been purchased ; 
He would be on the mountain's top without the toil and 

travail of the climbing. 
But equity demandeth recompense ; for high-place, calumny 

and care ; 
For state, comfortless splendor eating out the heart of home ; 
For warrior fame, dangers and death ; for a name among the 

learned, a spirit overstrained ; 
For honor of all kinds, the goad of ambition; on every 

acquirement, the tax of anxiety. 
He that would change with another, must take the cup as it 

is mixed : 
Poverty, with largeness of heart : or a full purse, with a 

sordid spirit : 
Wisdom, in an ailing body; or a common mind with health: 
Godliness, with man's scorn ; or the welcome of the mightj^ 

with guilt : 
Beauty, with a fickle heart; or plainness of face, with 

affection. 



SERIES I.J 



OF COMPENSATION. 



25 



For so hath Providence determined, that a man shall not 

easily discover 
Unmingled good or evil, to quicken his envy or abhorrence. 
A bold man or a fool must he be, who would change his lot 

with another, 
It were a fearful bargain, and mercy hath lovingly refused it: 
For we know the worst of ourselves, but the secrets of another 

we see not, 
And better is certain bad, than the doubt and dread of worse. 

Just, and strong, and opportune is the moral rule of God ; 
Ripe in its times, firm in its judgments, equal in the measure 

of its gifts : 
Yet men, scanning the surface, count the wicked happy, 
Nor heed the compensating peace, which gladdenetli the 

good in his afflictions. 
They see not the frightful dreams that crowd a bad man's 

pillow, 
Like wreathed a dders crawling round his midnight conscience ; 
They hear not the terrible suggestions, that knock at the 

portal of his will. 
Provoking to wipe away from life the one weak witness of 

the deed ; 
They know not the torturing suspicions that sting his panting 

breast, 
When the clear eye of penetration quietly readeth off the truth. 
Likewise of the good what know they 1 the memories 

bringing pleasure. 
Shrined in the heart of the benevolent, and glistening from 

his eye ; 
The calm self-justifying reason that establisheth the upright 

in his purpose, 
The warm and gushing bliss that floodeth all the thoughts 

of the religious ; 
Many a beggar at the cross-way, or grey-haired shepherd on 

the plain, 



26 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Hath more of the end of all wealth, than hundreds who 
multiply the means. 

Moreover, a moral compensation reacheth to the secresy of 

thought. 
For if thou wilt think evil of thy neighbor, soon shalt thou 

have him for thy foe : 
And yet he may know nothing of the cause that maketh thee 

distasteful to his soul, — 
The cause of unkind suspicion, for which thou hast thy 

punishment ; 
And if thou think of him in charity, wishing or praying for 

his weal, 
He shall not guess the secret charm that lureth his soul to 

love thee. 
For just is retributive ubiquity : Samson did sin with Dalilah, 
And his eyes and captive strength were forfeit to the 

Philistine : 
Jacob robbed his brother, and sorrow was his portion to the 

grave : 
David must fly before his foes, yea, though his guilt is covered : 
And He, who seeming old in youth, (e) was marred for others' 

sin, 
For every special crime must bear its special penalty : 
By luxury, or rashness, or vice, the member that hath erred 

sufl'ereth, 
And therefore the Sacrifice for all was pained at every pore. 



Alike to the slave and his oppressor cometh night with 

sweet refreshment. 
And half of the life of the most wretched is gladdened by the 

soothings of sleep. 
Pain addeth zest unto pleasure, and teacheth the luxury of 

health ; 
There is a joy in sorrow, which none but a mourner can know ; 
Madness hath imaginary bliss, and most men have no more ; 



SERIES I.J OF INDIRECT INFLUENCES. 



27 



Age hath its quiet cahn, and youth enjoyeth not for haste : 
Daily, in the midst of its beatitude, the rigliteous soul is vexed ; 
And even the misery of guilt doth attain to tlie bliss of pardon. 
Who, in the face of the born-blind, ever looked on other than 

content 1 
And the deaf ear listeneth within to the silent music of the 

heart. 
There is evil poured upon the earth from the overflowings 

of corruption, — 
Sickness, and poverty, and pain, and guilt, and madness, and 

sorrow ; 
But, as the water from a fountain riseth and sinketh to its level. 
Ceaselessly toileth justice to equalize the lots of men : 
For, habit, and hope, and ignorance, and the being but one 

of a multitude, 
And strength of reason in the sage, and dullness of feeling in 

the fool. 
And the light elasticity of courage, and the calm resignation 

of meekness, 
And the stout endurance of decision, and the weak carelessness 

of apathy. 
And helps invisible but real, and ministerings not unfelt. 
Angelic aid with worldly discomfiture, bodily loss with the 

soul's gain, 
Secret griefs, and silent joys, thorns in the flesh, and cordials 

for the spirit 
( — Short of the insuperable barrier dividing innocence from 

guilt,—). 
Go far to level all things, by the gracious rule of Compensation. 



OF INDIRECT INFLUENCES 



Face thy foe in the field, and perchance thou wilt meet thy 
master. 



28 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



For the sword is chained to his wrist, and his amior buckled 
for the battle ; 

But find him when he looketh not for thee, aim between the 
joints of his harness, 

And the crest of his pride will be humbled, his cruelty will 
bite the dust. 

Beard not a lion in his den, but fashion the secret pitfall, 

So shalt thou conquer the strong, thyself triumphing in weak- 
ness 

The hurricane rageth fiercely, and the promontory standeth 
in its might, 

Breasting the artillery of heaven, as darts glance from the 
crocodile : 

But the small continual creeping of the silent footsteps of the 
sea 

Mineth the wall of adamant, and stealthily compasseth its ruin. 

The weakness of accident is strong, where the strength of 
design is weak : 

And a casual analogy convinceth, when a mind beareth not 
argument. 

Will not a man listen ? be silent ; and prove thy maxim by 
example : 

Never fear, thou losest not thy hold, though thy mouth doth 
not render a reason. 

Contend not in wisdom with a fool, for thy sense maketh 
much of his conceit ; 

And some errors never would have thriven, had it not been 
for learned refutation • 

Yea, much evil hath been caused by an honest wrestler for 
truth. 

And much of unconscious good, by the man that hated wis- 
dom: 

For the intellect judgeth closely, and if thou overstep thy ar- 
gument. 

Or seem not consistent with thyself, or fail in thy direct pur- 
pose. 



SERIES I.J OF INDIRECT INFLUENCES. 



29 



The mind that went along with thee, shall stop and return 

without thee, 
And thou shalt have raised a foe, where thou mightest have 

won a friend. 



Hints, shrewdly strewn, mightily disturb the spirit. 

Where a barefaced accusation would be too ridiculous for 

calumny : 
The sly suggestion toucheth nerves, and nerves contract the 

fronds, 
And the sensitive mimosa of affection trembleth to its root ; 
And friendships, the growth of half a century, those oaks 

that laugh at storms. 
Have been cankered in a night by a worm, even as the pro- 
phet's gourd. 
Hast thou loved, and not known jealousy 1 for a sidelong look 
Can please or pain thy heart more than the multitude of 

proofs ; 
Hast thou hated, and not learned that thy silent scorn 
Doth deeper aggravate thy foe than Icud-cursing malice 1 — 
A wise man prevaileth in power, for he screeneth his batter- 
ing engine, 
But a fool tilteth headlong, and his adversary is aware. 

Behold those broken arches, that oriel all unglazed, 

That crippled line of columns bleaching in the sun. 

The delicate shaft stricken midway, and the flying buttress 

Idly stretching forth to hold up tufted ivy : 

Thinkest thou the thousand eyes that shine with rapture on 

a ruin, 
Would have looked with half their wonder on the perfect 

pile? 
And wherefore not — but that light hints, suggesting unseen 

beauties, 

Fill the complacent gazer with self-grown conceits ; 

And so, the rapid sketch winneth more praise to the painter, 
3* 



30 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Than the consummate work elaborated on his easel ; 
And so, the Helvetic lion caverned in the living rock 
Hath more of majesty and force, than if upon a marble pedes- 
tal. 

Tell me, daughter of taste, what hath charmed thine ear in 

music 1 
Is it the labored theme, the curious fugue or cento, — 
Nor rather the sparkles of intelligence flashing from some 

strange note, 
Or the soft melody of sounds far sweeter for simplicity ? 
Tell me, thou son of science, what hath filled thy mind in 

reading 1 
Is it the volume of detail where all is orderly set down, 
And they that read may run, nor need to stop and think ; 
The book carefully accurate, that counteth thee no better 

than a fool, 
Gorging the passive mind with annotated notes ; — 
Nor rather the half-suggested thoughts, the riddles thou mayst 

solve, > 

The fair ideas, coyly peeping like young loves out of roses, 
The quaint arabesque conceptions, half cherub and half 

flower. 
The light analogy, or deep allusion, trusted to thy learning, 
The confidence implied in thy skill to unravel meaning mys- 
teries 1 
For ideas are ofttimes shy of the close furniture of words, 
And thought wherein only is power, may be best conveyed 

by a suggestion : 
The flash that lighteth up a valley, amid the dark midnight 

of a storm, 
Coineth the mind with that scene sharper than fifty sum- 
mers. 



A worldly man boasteth in his pride, that there is no power 
but of money : 



SERIES I.J OF INDIRECT INFLUENCES. 



31 



And he judgeth the characters of men by the differing mea- 
sures of their means : 

He stealeth all goodly names, as worth, and value, and sub- 
stance, 

Which be the ancient heritage of Virtue, but such an one 
ascribeth unto Wealth : 

He spurneth the needy sage, whose wisdom hath enriched 
nations. 

And the sons of poverty and learning, without whom earth 
* were a desert : 

Music, the soother of cares, the tuner of the dank discordant 
heart-strings. 

It is naught unto such an one but sounds, whereby some 
earn their living : 

The poem, and the picture, and the statue, to him seem idle 
baubles, 

Which wealth condescendeth to favor, to gain him the name 
of patron. 

But little wotteth he the might of the means his folly de- 
spiseth ; 

He considereth not that these be the wires which move the 
puppets of the world. 

A sentence hath formed a character, C?) and a character sub- 
dued a kingdom ; 

A picture hatii ruined souls, or raised them to commerce 
with the skies : 

The pen hath shaken nations, and stablished the world in 
peace ; 

And the whole full horn of plenty been filled from the vial of 
science. 

He regardeth man as sensual, the monarch of created mat- 
ter. 

And careth not aught for mind, that linketh him with spirits 
unseen : 

He feedeth his carcase and is glad, though his soul be faint 
and famished. 



32 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



And the dull brute power of the body bindeth him a captive 
to himself. 

Man liveth from hour to hour, and knoweth not what may 

happen ; 
Influences circle him on all sides, and yet must he answer 

for his actions. 
For the being that is master of himself, bendeth events to his 

wUl, 
But a slave to selfish passion is the wavering creature of 

circumstance. 
To this man temptation is a poison, to that man it addeth 

vigor ; 
And each may render to himself influences good or evil. 
As thou directest the power, harm or advantage will follow. 
And the torrent that swept the valley, may be led to turn a 

mill ; 
The wild electric flash, that could have kindled comets. 
May by the ductile wire give ease to an ailing child. 
For outward matter or event, fashion not the character within, 
But each man, yielding or resisting, fashioneth his mind for 

himself. 



Some have said. What is in a name 1 — most potent plastic 
influence ; 

A name is a word of character, and repetition stablisheth 
the fact ; 

A word of rebuke, or of honor, tending to obscurity or fame ; 

And greatest is the power of a name, when its power is least 
suspected. 

A low name is a thorn In the side, that hindereth the foot- 
man in his running ; 

But a name of ancestral renown shall often put the racer to 
his speed. 

Few men have grown unto greatness whose names are allied 
to ridicule, 



SERIES I.] 



OF MEMORY. 



33 



And many would never have been profligate, but for the 

splendor of a name. 
A wise man scorneth nothing, be it never so small or homely, 
For he knoweth not the secret laws that may bind it to great 

effects. 
The world in its boyhood was credulous, and dreaded the 

vengeance of the stars, 
The world in its dotage is not wiser, fearing not the influence 

of small things ; 
Planets govern not the soul, nor guide the destinies of man, 
But trifles, lighter than straws, are levers in the building up 

of character. 
A man hath the tiller in his hand, and may steer against the 

current, 
Or may glide down idly with the stream, till his vessel foun- 
der in the whirlpool. 



OF MEMORY. 



Where art thou, storehouse of the mind, garner of facts and 

fancies, — 
In what strange firmament are laid the beams of thine airy 

chambers 1 
Or art thou that small cavern, (8) the centre of the rolling 

brain. 
Where still one sandy morsel testifieth man's original ? 
Or hast thou some grand globe, some common hall of intel- 
lect. 
Some spacious market-place for thought, where all do bring 

their wares. 
And gladly rescued from the littleness, the narrow closet of a 

self, 
The privileged soul hath large access, coming in the livery of 

learning 1 
Live we as isolated worlds, perfect in substance and spirit, 



34 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Each a sphere, with a special mind, prisoned in its shell of 

matter ? 
Or rather, as converging radiations, parts of oae majestic 

whole, 
Beams of the Sun, streams from the River, branches of the 

mighty Tree, 
Some bearing fruit, some bearing leaves, and some diseased 

and barren, — 
Some for the feast, some for the floor, and some, — ^how many, 

— for the fire 1 
Memory may be but a power of coming to the treasury of Fact, 
A momentary self-desertion, an absence in spirit from the now, 
An actual coursing hither and thither, by the mind, slipped 

from its leash. 
A life, as in the mystery of dreams, spent within the limits 

of a moment. 



A brutish man knoweth not this, neither can a fool compre- 
hend it, 
But there be secrets of the memory, deep, wondrous, and 

fearful. 
Were I at Petra, could I not declare. My soul hath been here 

before me 1 
Am I strange to the columned halls, the calm dead grandeur 

of Palmyra ? 
Know I not thy mount, O Carmel ! Have I not voyaged on 

the Danube 1 
Nor seen the glare of Arctic snows, — nor the black tents of 

the Tartar 1 
Is it then a dream, that I remember the faces of them of old, 
While wandering in the grove with Plato, and listening to 

Zeno in the porch 1 
Paul have I seen, and Pythagoras, and the Stagyrite hath 

spoken me friendly, 
And His meek eye looked also upon me, standing with Peter 

in the palace. 



SERIES 1.] 



OF MEMORY. 



35 



Athens and Rome, Persepolis and Sparta, am I not a freeman 

of you all 1 
And chiefly can my yearning heart forget thee, O Jerusalem 1 
For the strong magic of conception, mingled with the fumes 

of memory, 
Givelh me a life in all past time, yea, and addeth substance 

to the future. 
Be ye my judges, imaginative minds, full-fledged to soar into 

the sun. 
Whose grosser natural thoughts the chemistry of wisdom 

hath sublimed, 
Have ye not confessed to a feeling, a consciousness, strange 

and vague, 
That ye have gone this way before, and walk again your 

daily life, 
Tracking an old routine, and on some foreign strand, 
Where bodily ye have never stood, finding your own foot- 
steps 1 
Hath not at times some recent friend looked out an old familiar, 
Some newest circumstance or place teemed as with ancient 

memories : 
A startling sudden flash lighted up all for an instant, 
And then it is quenched, as in darkness, and leaveth the cold 

spirit trembling. 



Memory is not wisdom ; idiots can rote volumes : 

Yet, what is wisdom without memory 1 a babe that is stran- 
gled in its birth, 

The path of the swallow in the air, the path of the dolphin in 
the waters, 

A cask running out, a bottomless chasm : such is wisdom 
without memory. 

There be many wise, who cannot store their knowledge ; 

Yet from themselves are they satisfied, for the fountain is 
within : 

There be many who store, but have no wisdom of their own, 



36 



PROVERBL\L PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Lumbering their armory with weapons their muscles cannot 

lift: 
There be many thieves and robbers, who gleam and store 

unlawfully, 
Calling in to memory's help some cunningly devised Cabala: 
But to feed the mind with fatness, to fill thy granary with corn, 
Nor clog with chaff and straw the threshing-floor of reason, 
Reap the ideas, and house them well ; but leave the words 

high stubl)le. 
Strive to store up what was thought, despising what was said. 
For the mind is a spirit, and drinketh in ideas, as flame melt- 

eth into flame ; 
But for words, it must pack them as on floors, cumbrous and 

perishable merchandise. 
To be pained for a minute, to fear for an hour, to hope for a 

week — how long and weary ! 
But to remember fourscore 3'ears, is to look back upon a day. 
An avenue seemeth to lengthen in the eyes of the wayfaring 

man, 
But let him turn, those stationed elms crowd up within a 

yard ; 
Pace the lamp-lit streets of some sleeping city. 
The multitude of cressets shall seem one, in the false picture 

of perspective ; 
Even so, in sweet treachery, dealeth the a^ed with self. 
He gazeth on the green hill-tops, while the marshes beneath 

are hidden, 
And the partial telescope of memory pierceth the blank be 

tween. 
To look with lingering love at the fair star of childhood. 
Life is as the current spark on the miner's wheel of flints : 
Whiles it spinneth there is light ; stop it, all is darkness : 
Life is as a morsel of frankincense burning in the hall of Eter- 
nity ; 
It is gone, but its odorous cloud curleth to the lofty roof! 
Life is as a lump of salt, melting in the temple4aver ; 



SERIES I.] THE DREAM OF AMBITION. 



37 



It is gone, — yet its savor reacheth to the furthest atom ; 
Even so, for evil or for good, is life the criterion of a man, 
For its memories of sanctity or sin pervade all the firmament 

of being, 
There is but the flitting moment, wherein to hope or to enjoy, 
But in the calendar of memory, that moment is all time. 



THE DREAM OF AMBITION. 

I LEFT the happy fields that smile around the village of 

Content, 
And sought with wayward feet the torrid desert of Ambition. 
Long time, parched and weary, I travelled that burning sand, 
And the hooded basilisk and adder were strewed in my way 

for palms ; 
Black scorpions thronged me round, with sharp uplifted 

stings, 
Seeming to mock me as I ran (then I guessed it was a 

dream, — 
But life is oft so like a dream, we know not where we are). 
So I toiled on, doubting in myself, up a steep gravel cliif. 
Whose yellow summit shot up far into the brazen sky ; 
And quickly, I was wafted to the top, as upon unseen wings, 
Carrying me upward like a leaf (tlien I thought it was a 

dream, — 
Yet life is oft so like a dream, we know not where we are) ; 
So I stood on the mountain, and behold ! before me a giant 

pyramid. 
And I clomb with eager haste its high and difficult steps ; 
For, I longed, like another Belu^, to mount up, yea to heaven, 
Nor sought I rest until my feet had spurned the crest of earth. 



Then I sat on my granite throne under the burning sun. 

And the world lay smiling beneath me, but I was wrapt in 

flames 

4 



38 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



(And I hoped, in glimmering consciousness, that all this 

torture was a dream, — 
Yet life is oft so like a dream, we know not where we are). 
And anon, as I sat scorching, the pyramid shuddered to its 

root, 
And I felt the quarried mass leap from its sand foundations : 
Awhile it tottered and tilted, as raised by invisible levers — 
(And now my reason spake with me ; I knew it was a dream ; 
Yet I hushed that whisper into silence, for I hoped to learn 

of wisdom, 
By tracking up my truant thoughts, whereunto they might 

lead). 
And suddenly, as rolling upon wheels, adown the clifT it 

rushed. 
And I thought, in my hot brain, of the Muscovites' icy slope ; 
A thousand yards in a moment we ploughed the sandy seas, 
And crushed those happy fields, and that smiling village, 
As onward, as a living thing, still rushed my mighty throne, 
Thundering along, and pounding, as it went, the milUoas in 

my way ; 
Before me all was life, and joy, and full-blown summer. 
Behind me death and woe, the desert and simoom. 
Then I wept and shrieked aloud, for pity and for fear; 
But might not stop, for, comet-like, flew on the maddened 

mass 
Over the crashing cities, and falling obelisJcs a,nd towers. 
And columns, razed as by a scythe, and high domes, shivered 

as an egg-shell, 
And deep embattled ranks, and women, crowded in the streets. 
And children, kneeling as for mercy, and all I had ever loved. 
Yea, over all, mine awful throne rushed on with seeming 

instinct. 
And over the crackling forests, and over the rugged beach. 
And on with a terrible hiss through the foaming wild Atlantic 
That roared around me as I sat, but could not quench my 

spirit, — 



SERIES X.J 



OF SUBJECTION. 



39 



Still on, through startled solitudes we shattered the pavement 
of the sea, 

Down, down, to that central vault, the bolted doors of hell, 

And these, with horrid shock, my huge throne battered in, 

And on to the deepest deep, where the fierce flames were 
hottest, 

Blazing tenfold as conquering furiously the seas that rushed 
in with me, — 

And there I stopped : and a fearful voice shouted in mine 
ear, 

" Behold the home of Discontent ; behold the rest of Ambi- 
tion I" 



OF SUBJECTION. 



Law hath dominion over all things, over universal mind and 

matter ; 
For there are reciprocities of right, which no creature can 

gainsay. 
Unto each was there added by its Maker, in the perfe-cl chain 

of being, 
Dependencies and sustentations, accidents, and qualities, and 

powers : 

And each must fly forward in the curve, unto which it was 

forced from the beginning ; 
Each must attract and repel, or the monarchy of Order is no 

more. 
Laws are essential emanations from the self-poised character 

of God, 
And they radiate from that sun, to the circling edges of 

creation. 
Verily, the mighty Lawgiver hath subjected Himself unto 

laws. 
And God is the primal grand example of free unstrained obe- 
dience : 



40 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY, [series i. 



His perfection is limited by right, and cannot trespass into 
wrong, 

Because He hath established Himself as the fountain of only 
good. 

And in thus much is bounded, that the evil hath he left unto 
another, 

And that dark other hath usurped the evil which Omnipo- 
tence laid down. 

Unto God there exist impossibilities ; for the True One can- 
not lie, 

Nor the Wise One wander from the track which he hath 
determined for himself: 

For his will was purposed from eternity, strong in the love of 
order ; 

And that will altereth not, as the law of the Medes and Per- 
sians. 

God is the origin of order, and the first exemplar of his precept ; 

For there is subordination of his Essence, self-guided unto 
holiness ; 

And there is subordination of his Persons, in due procession 
of dignity ; 

For the Son, as a son, is subject ; and to him doth the Spirit 
minister ; 

But tl^e things be mysteries to man, be cannot reach nor 
fathom them, 

And ever must he speak in paradox, when laboring to ex- 
pound his God, 

For, behold, God is Alone, mighty in unshackled freedom ; 

And with those wondrous Persons abideth eternal equality. 



So then, start ye from the fountain, and follow the river of 

existence. 
For its current is bounded throughout by the banks of just 

subordination : 
Thrones, and dominions, and powers, Archangels, Cherubim, 

and Seraphim, 



SERIES l.J 



OF SUBJECTION. 



41 



Angels, and flaming ministers, and breathing chariots and 

harps. 
For there are degrees in heaven, and varied capabilities of 

bliss, 
And steps in the ladder of Intelligence, and ranks in ap- 
proaches to Perfection : 
Doubtless, reverence is given, as their due, to the masters in 

wisdom ; 
Doubtless, there are who serve ; or a throne would have 

small glory. 
Regard now the universe of matter, the substance of visible 

creation. 
Which of old, with well-observing truth, the Greek hath 

surnamed Order : (9) 
Where is there an atom out of place ? or a particle that 

yieldeth not obedience '? 
Where is there a fragment that is free '? or one thing the 

equal of another 1 
The chain is unbroken down to man, and beyond him the 

links are perfect : 
But he standeth solitary sin, a marvel of permitted chaos. 



Anb shall this seeming error in the scale of due subordination 
Be a spot of desert unreclaimed, in the midst of the vineyard 

of the Lord 1 
Shall his presumptuous pride snap the safe tether of con- 
nexion. 
And his blind selfish folly refuse the burden of maintenance 1 
O man, thou art a creature ; boast not thyself above the law : 
Think not of thyself as free : thou art bound in the trammels 

of dependence, 
What is the sum of thy duty, but obedience to righteous rule, 
To the great commanding oracle, uttered by delegated organs 1 
Thou canst not render homage to abstract Omnipresent power, 
Save through the concrete symbol of visible ordained au- 
thority. 

4* 



42 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Those who obey not man, are oftenest found rebels against 
God: 

And seldom is the delegate so bold, as to order what he 
knoweth to be wrong. 

Yet m irk me, proud g linsayer ! I say not, obey unto sin ; 

But, where the Principal is silent, take heed thou despise 
not the Deputy : 

And he that loveth order will bless thee for thy faith, 

If thou recognise his sanction in the powers that fashion hu- 
man laws. 



Thou, the vicegerent of the Lord, his high anointed image. 

Toward whom a good man's loyalty floweth from the heart 
of his religion, 

Thou, whose deep responsibilities are fathomed by a nation's 
prayers, 

Whom wise men fear for while they love, and envy thee 
nothing but thy virtues. 

From thy dizzy pinnacle of greatness, remember thou also art 
a subject. 

And the throne of thine earthly glory is itself but the foot- 
stool of thy God. 

The homnge thy kingdoms yield thee, regard thou as yielded 
unto Him ; 

And while girt with all the majesty of state, consider thee 
the Lord's chief servant ; 

So shalt thou prosper, and be strong, grafted on the strength 
of another ; 

So shall thy virgin heart be happy, in being humble. 

And thou shalt flourish as an oak, the monarch of thine 
island forests, 

Whose deep-dug roots are twisted around the stout ribs ot 
the globe. 

That mocketh at the fury of the storm, and rejoiceth in sum- 
mer sunshine. 

Glad in the smiles of heaven, and great in the stability of earth. 



SERIES I.J 



OF SUBJECTION. 



43 



A ruler hath not power for himself, neither is his pomp for 

his pride ; 
But beneath the ermine of his office should he wear the 

rough hair-cloth of humility. 
Nevertheless, every way obey him, so thou break not a 

higher commandment ; 
For Nero was an evil king, yet Paul prescribeth subjection. 
If the rulers of a nation be holy, the Lord hath blessed that 

nation ; 
If they be lewd and impious, chastisement hath come upon 

that people ; 
For the bitterest scourge of a land is ungodliness in them 

that govern it. 
And the guilt of the sons of Josiah drove Israel weeping into 

Babylon. 
Yet be thou resolute against them, if they change the man 

dates of thy God, 
If they touch the ark of his covenant, wherein all his mer- 
cies are enshrined : 
Be resolute, but not rebellious ; lest thou be of the company 

of Korah : 
Set thy f ice against them as a flint : but be not numbered 

with Abirara. 
Daniel nobly disobeyed ; but not from a spirit of sedition ; 
And Azarias shouted from the furnace, — I will not bow down, 

O KING. 

If truth must be sacrificed to unity, then faithfulness were 

folly; 
If man must be obeyed before God, the martyrs have bled in 

vain : 
Yet none of that blessed army reviled the rulers of the 

land. 
They were loud and bold against the sin, but bent before the 

ensign of authority. 
Honesty, scorning compromise, walketh most suitably with 

Reverence : 



44 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Otherwise righteous daring may show but as obstinate re- 
bellion : 
Therefore, sufier not thy censure to lack the savor of courtesy, 
And remember the mortal sinneth, but the staff of his power 
is from God. 

Man, thou hast a social spirit, and art deeply indebted to thy 

kind : 
Therefore claim not all thy rights ; but yield, for thine own 

advantage. 
Society is a chain of obligations, and its links must support 

each other : 
The branch cannot but wither, that is cut from the parent vine. 
Wouldst thou be a dweller in the woods, and cast away the 

cords thai bind thee, 
Seeking, in thy bitterness or pride, to be exiled from thy fellows'? 
Behold, the beasts shall hunt thee, weak, naked, houseless 

outcast, 
Disease and Death shall track thee out, as bloodhounds, in 

the wilderness . 
Better to be vilest of the vile, in the hated company of men, 
Than to live a solitary wretch, dreading and wanting all 

things ; 
Better to be chained to thy labor, in the dusky thoroughfares 

of life, 
Than to reign monarch of Sloth, in lonesome savage freedom. 

Whence then cometh the doctrine, that all should be equal 

and free 7 — 
It is the lie that crowded hell, when Seraphs flung away 

subjection. 
No man is his neighbor's equal, for no two minds are similar, 
And accidents, alike with qualities, have every shade but 

sameness : 
The lightest atom of difference shall destroy the nice balance 

of equality. 




SERIES I.J 



OF SUBJECTION. 



45 



And all things, from without and from within, make one man 

to differ from another. 
We are equal and free ! was the watchword that spirited the 

legions of Satan, 
We are equal and free ! is the double lie that entrappeth to 

him conscripts from earth : 
The messengers of that dark despot will pander to thy license 

and thy pride, 
And draw thee from the crowd where thou art safe, to seize 

thee in the solitary desert. 
Woe unto hinS whose heart the s^Ten song of Liberty hath 

charmed ; 
Woe unto him whose mind is bewitched by her treacherous 

beauty ; 
In mad zeal flingeth he away the fetters of duty and restraint, 
And yieldeth up the holocaust of self to that fair idol of the 

Damned. 
No man hath freedom in aught save in that from which the 

wicked would be hindered. 
He is free toward God and good ; but to all else a bondman. 



Thou art in a middle sphere, to render and receive honor. 
If thy king commandeth, obey ; and stand not in the way 

with rebels : 
But if need be, lay thy hand upon thy sword, and fear not to 

smite a traitor. 
For the universe acquitteth thee with honor, fighting in de- 
fence of thy king. 
If a thief break thy dwelling, and thou take him, it were sin 

in thee to let him go ; 
Yea, though he pleadeth to thy mercy, thou canst not spare 

him and be blameless : 
For his guilt is not only against thee, it is not thy moneys or 

thy merchandise. 
But he hath done damige to the Law, which duty constrain- 

eth thee to sanction. 



46 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Feast not thine appetite of vengeance, remembering tiiou also 
art a man, 

But weep for the sad compulsion, in which the chain of 
Providence hath bound thee : 

Mercy is not thine to give ; wilt thou steal another's privilege 1 

Or send abroad nmong thy neighbors, a felon whom impunity 
hath hardened 1 

Remember the Roman father, strong in his stern integrity, 

And let not thy slothful self-indulgence make thee a conni- 
ver at the crime. 

Also, if the knife of the murderer be raised against thee or 
thine, 

And through good Providence and courage, thou slay him 
that would hnve slain thee, 

Thou losest not a tittle of thy rectitude, having executed sud- 
den justice ; 

Still mayst thou walk among the blessed, though thy hands 
be red with blood 

For thyself, thou art neither worse nor better ; but thy fel- 
lows should count thee their creditor : % 

Thou hast manfully protected the right, and the right is 
stronger for thy deed. 

Also, in the rescuing of innocence, fear not to smite the 
ravisher ; 

What though he die at thy hand 1 for a good name is better 
than the life ; 

And if Phineas had everlasting praise in the matter of Salu's 
son, 

With how much greater honor standeth such a rescuer ac- 
quitted 1 

Uphold the laws of thy country, and fear not to fight in their 
defence ; 

But first be convinced in thy mind : for herein the doubter 
sinneth. 

Above all things look thou well around, if indeed stern duty 
force thee 



SERIES I.J 



OF SUBJECTION. 



47 



To draw the sword of justice, and stain it with the slaughter 
of thy fellows. 



I 
I 



She that lieth in thy bosom, the tender wife of thy affections. 

Must obey thee, and be subject, that evil drop not on thy dwel- 
ling. 

The child that is used to constraint, feareth not more than 
he loveth ; 

But give thy son his way, he will hate thee and scorn thee 
together. ^ 

The master of a well-ordered home knoweth to be kind to 
his servants ; 

Yet he exacteth reverence, and each one feareth at his post. 

There is nothing on earth so lowly, but duty giveth it im- 
portance ; 

No station so degrading, but it is ennobled by obedience : 

Yea, break stones upon the highway, acknowledging the 
Lord in thy lot, 

Happy shalt thou be, and honorable, more than many chil- 
dren of the mighty. 

Thou that despisest the outward forms, beware thou lose not 
the inward spirit ; 

For they are as words unto ideas, as symbols to things unseen. 

Keep then the form that is good : retain, and do reverence to 
example ; 

And in all things observe subordination, for that is the whole 
duty of man. 



A horse knoweth his rider, be he confident or timid. 

And the fierce spirit of Bucephalus stoopeth unto none but 

Alexander ; 
The tigress roused in the jungle by the prying spaniels of the 

fowler. 
Will quail at the eye of man, so he assert his dignity ; 
Nay, the very ships, those giant swans breasting the mighty 

waters, 



48 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Roll in the trough, or break the wave, to the pilot's fear or 

courage : 
How much more shall man, discerning the Fountain of au- 
thority, 
Bow to superior commands, and make his own obeyed. 
And yet, in travelling the world, hast thou not often known 
A gallant host led on to ruin by a feeble Xerxes 1 
Hast thou not often seen the wanton luxury of indolence 
Sullying with its sleepy mist the tarnished crown of head- 
ship 1 
Alas ! for a thousand fathers, whose indulgent sloth 
Hath emptied the vial of confusion over a thousand homes : 
Alas ! for the palaces and hovels, that might have been niu'- 

series for heaven, 
By liot intestine broils blighted into schools for hell: 
None knoweth his place, yet all refuse to serve, 
None weareth the crown, yet all usurp the sceptre : 
And perchance some fiercer spirit, of natural nobility of 

mind. 
That needed but the kindness of constraint to have grown up 

great and good. 
Now, — the rich harvest of his heart choked by unweeded 

tares, — 
All bold to dare and do, unchecked by wholesome fear, 
A scoffer about bigotry and priestcraft, a rebel against govern- 
ment and God, 
And standard-bearer of the turbulent, leading on the sons of 

Belial, 
Such an one is king of that small state, head tyrant of the 

thirty. 
Brandishing the torch of discord in his village-home: 
And the timid Eli of the house, yon humble parish-priest, 
Liveth in shame and sorrow, fearing his own handy-work; 
The mother, heartstricken years agone, hath dropped into an 

early grave ; 
The silent sisters long to leave a home they cannot love ; 



SERIES 1.) 



OF SUBJECTION. 



49 



The brothers, casting off restraint, follow their wayward 

wills ; 
And the chance ^^uest, early departing, blesseth his kind stars, 
That on his hum birr home hath brooded no domestic curse. 
Yet is that curse the fruit; wouldest thou the root of the 

evil 7 
A kindness — most unkind, that hath always spared the rod ; 
A weak and numbing indecision in the mind that should be 

master ; 
A foolish love, pregnant of hate, that never frowned on sin ; 
A moral cowardice of heart that never dared command. 



A kingdom is a nest of families, and a family a small king- 
dom ; 

And the government of whole or part difFerethin nothing but 
extent. 

The house, where the master ruleth, is strong in united sub- 
jection. 

And the only commandment with promise, being honored, is 
a blessing to that house : 

But and if he yieldeth up the reins, it is weak in discordant 
anarchy, 

And the bonds of love and union melt away, as ropes of sand. 

The realm, that is ruled with vigor, lacketh neither peace 
nor glory. 

It dreadelh not foes from without, nor the sons of riot from 
within : 

But the meanness of temporizing fear robbeth a kingdom of 
its honor. 

And the weakness of indulgent sloth ravageth its bowels 
with discord. 

The best of human governments is the patriarchal rule ; 

The authorized supremacy of one, the prescriptive subjection 
of many : 

Therefore, the children of the East have thriven' from age to 
age, 



50 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

Obeying, even as a god, the royal father of Cathay : 

Therefore, to this our day, the Rechabite wanteth not a 
man, (lo) 

But they stand before the Lord, forsaking not the mandate of 
their sire. 

Therefore shall Magog among nations arise from his northern 
lair. 

And rend, in the fury of his power, the insurgent world be- 
neath him : 

For the thunderbolt of concentrated strength can be hurled 
by the will of one, 

While the dissipated forces of many are harmless as summer 
lightning. 



OF REST. (") 

In the silent watches of the night, calm night that breedeth 
thoughts, (12) 

When the task-weary mind disporteth in the careless play- 
hours of sleep, 

I dreamed ; and behold, a valley, green and sunny and well 
watered, 

And thousands moving acro^ it, thousands and tens of thoii- 

' sands: 

And though many seemed faint and toil-worn, and stumbled 
often, and fell, 

Yet moved they on unresting, as the ever-flowing cataract. 

Then I noted adders in the grass, and pitfalls under the 
flowers, 

And chasms yawned among the hills, and the ground was 
cracked and slippery : 

But Hope and her brother Fear suffered not a foot to linger ; 

Bri<rht phantoms of false joys beckoned alluringly forward, 

While yelling grisly shapes of dread came hunting on be- 
hind: 



SERIES I.J 



OF REST. 



51 



And ceaselessly, like Lapland swarms, that miserable crowd 

sped along 
To the mist involved banks of a dark and sullen river. 
There saw I, midway in the water, standing a giant fisher, 
And he held many lines in his hand, and they called him 

Iron Destiny. 
So I tracked those subtle chains, and each held one among 

the multitude. 
Then I understood what hindered, that they rested not in 

their path : 
For the fisher had sport in his fishing, and drew in his lines 

continually. 
And the new-born babe, and the aged man, were dragged 

into that dark river : 
And he pulled all those myriads along, and none might rest 

by the way. 
Till many, for sheer weariness, were eager to plunge into the 

drowning stream. 



So I knew that valley was Life, and it sloped to the waters 

of Death. • 

But far on the thither side spread out a calm and silent shore. 
Where all was tranquil as a sleep, and the crowded strand 

was quiet : 
And I saw there many I had known, but their eyes glared 

chillingly upon me. 
As set in deepest slumber ; and they pressed their fingers to 

their lips. 
Then I knew that shore was the dwelling of Rest, where 

spirits held their Sabbath, 
And it seemed they would have told me much, but they 

might not break that silence ; 
For the law of their being was mystery : they glided on, 

hushing as they went. 
Yet further, under the sun, at the roots of purple mountains, 
I noted a blaze of glory, as the night-fires on northern skies ; 



52 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



And I heard the hum of joy, as it were a sea of melody ; 

And far as the eye could reach, were millions of happy crea- 
tures 

Basking in the golden light; and I knew that land was 
Heaven. 

Then the hill whereon I stood split asunder, and a crater 
yawned at my feet, 

Black and deep and dreadful, fenced round with ragged 
rocks , 

Dimly was the darkness lit up by spires of distant flame : 

And I saw below a moving mass of life, like reptiles bred in 
corruption, 

Where all was terrible unrest, shrieks and groans and thun- 
der. 



So I woke, and I thought upon my dream ; for it seemed of 

wisdom's ministration. 
What mm is he that findeth rest, though he hunt for it year 

after year ? 
As a child he had not yet been wearied, and cared not then 

to court it ; 
\s a youth he loved not to be quiet, for excitement spurred 

him into strife ; 
As a man he tracketh rest in vain, toiling painfully to catch it, 
But still is he pulled from the pursuit, by the strong compul- 
sion of his fate ; 
So he hopeth to have peace in old age, as he cannot rest in 

manhood. 
But troubles thicken with his years, till Death hath dodged 

him to the grave. 
There remaineth a rest for the spirit on the shadowy side of 

life; 
But unto this world's pilgrim no rest for the sole of his foot. 
Ever, from stage to st ige, he travelleth wearily forward. 
And though he pluck flowers by the way, he may not sleep 

among the flowers. 



SERIES I.J 



OF HUMILITY. 



53 



Mind is the perpetual motion ; for it is a running* stream 

From an unfathomable source, the depth of the divine Intel- 
ligence : 

And though it be stopped in its flowing, yet hath it a current 
within, 

The surface may sleep unruffled, but underneath are whirl- 
pools of contention. 

Seekest thou rest, O mortal 1 — seek it no more on earth. 

For destiny will not cease from dragging thee through the 
rough wilderness of life ; 

Seekest thou rest, O immortal 1 — hope not to find it in Hea- 
ven, 

For sloth yieldeth not happiness : the bliss of a spirit is ac 
tion. 

Rest dwelleth only on an island in the midst of the ocean of 
existence. 

Where the world-weary soul for a while may fold its tired 
wings. 

Until, after short sufficient slumber, it is quickened unto 
deathless energy, 

And speedeth in eagle-flight to the Sun of unapproachable 
perfection. 



OF HUMILITY. 



Vice is grown aweary of her gawds, and donneth russet gar- 
ments. 
Loving for change to walk as a nun, beneath a modest veil : 
For Pride hath noted how all admire the f lirness of Humility, 
And to clutch the praise he coveteth, is content to be drest in 

hair-cloth ; 
And wily Lust tempteth the young heart, that is proof 

against the bravery of harlots, 
With timid tears and retiring looks of an artless seeming 
maid; 

5* 



54 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series l. 



And indolent Apathy, sleepily ashamed of his dull lack-lustre 
face, 

Is glad of the livery of meekness, that charitable cloak and 
cowl ; 

And Hatred hideth his demon frown beneath a gentle mask ; 

And Slnnder, snake-like, creepeth in the dust, thinking to es- 
cape recrimination. 

But the world hath gained somewhat from its years, and is 
quick to penetrate disguises, 

Neither in all these is it easily deceived, but rightly divideth 
the true from the false. 



Yet there is a meanness of spirit that is fair in the eyes of 
most men, 

Yea, and seemeth fair unto itself, loving to be thought Hu- 
mility. 

Its choler is not roused by insolence, neither do injuries dis- 
turb it : 

Honest indignation is strange unto its breast, and just reproof 
unto its lip. 

It shrinketh, looking fearfully on men, fawning at the feet of 
the great : 

The breath of calumny is sweet unto its ear, and it courteth 
the rod of persecution. 

But whit I art thou not a man, deputed chief of the crea- 
tion? 

Art thou not a soldier of the right, militant for God and 
good 1 

Shall virtue and truth be degraded, because thou art too base 
to uphold them 1 

Or Goliath be bolder in blaspheming for want of a David in 
the camp? 

I say not, avenge injuries ; for the ministry of vengeance is 
not thine ; 

But wherefore rebuke not a liar 1 wherefore do dishonor to 
thyself? 



SERIES I.] 



OF HUMILITY. 



55 



Wherefore let the evil triumph, when the just and the right 
are on thy side 1 

Such Humility is abject, it lacketh the life of sensibility. 

And that resignation is but mock, where the burden is not 
felt: 

Suspect thyself and thy meekness : thou art mean and indif- 
ferent to sin ; 

And the heart that should grieve and forgive, is case-harden- 
ed and forgetteth. 

Humility mainly becometh the converse of man with his 

Maker, 
But oftentimes it seemeth out of place in the intercourse of 

man with man : 
Yea, it is the cringer to his equal, that is chiefly seen bold to 

his God, 
While a martyr, whom a world cannot browbeat, is humble 

as a child before Him. 
Render unto all men their due, but remember thou also art a 

man, 
And cheat not thyself of the reverence which is owing to 

thy reasonable being. 
Be courteous, and listen, and learn : but teach and answer if 

thou canst : 
Serve thee of thy neighbor's wisdom, but be not enslaved as 

to a master. 
Where thou perceivest knowledge, bend the ear of attention 

and respect ; 
But yield not further to the teaching, than as thy mind is 

warranted by reasons. 
Better is an obstinate disputant, that yieldeth inch by inch. 
Than the shallow traitor to himself, who surrendereth to 

half an argument. 



Modesty winneth good report, but scorn cometh close upon 
servility, 



56 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Therefore use meekness with discretion, casting not pearls 

before swine, 
For a fool will tread upon thy neck, if he seeth thee lying in 

the dust ; 
And there be companies and seasons where resolute bearing 

is but duty. 
If a good man discloseth his secret failings unto the view of 

the profane, 
What doeth he but harm unto his brother, confirming him 

in his sin ? 
There is a concealment that is right, and an open-mouthed 

humility that erreth : 
There is a candor near akin to folly, and a meekness look- 
ing like shame. 
Masculine sentiments, vigorously holden, well become a man ; 
But a weak mind hath a timorous grasp, and mistake th it for 

tenderness of conscience. 
Many are despised for their folly, who put it to the account 

of their religion, 
And because men trent them with contempt, they look to 

their God for glory : 
But contempt shall still be their reward, who betrayed their 

Master unto ridicule. 
Reflecting on Him in themselves, meanness and ignorance 

and cowardice. 
A Christian hath a royal spirit, and need not be ashamed but 

unto One. 
Among just men walketh he softly, but the world should see 

him as a champion. 
His humbleness is far unlike the shame that covereth the 

profligate and weak, 
When the sober reproof of virtue hath touched their tingling 

ears ; 
It is born of love and wisdom, and is worthy of all honor, 
And the sweet persuasion of its smile changeth contempt 

into reverence. 



SERIES I.] 



OF HUMILITY. 



57 



A man of a haughty spirit is daily adding to his enemies : 
He standeth as the Arab in the desert, and the hands of all 

men are against him : 
A man of a base mind daily subtracteth from his friends, 
For he holdeth himself so cheaply, that others learn to 

despise him : 
But where the meekness of self-knowledge veileth the front 

of self-respect, 
There look thou for the man, whom none can know but they 

will honor. 
Humility is the softening shadow before the stature of Ex- 
cellence, 
And lieth lowly on the ground, beloved and lovely as the 

violet : 
Humility is the fair-haired maid, that calleth Worth her 

brother. 
The gentle silent nurse, that fostereth infant virtues : 
Humility bringeth no excuse ; she is welcome to God and 

man : 
Her countenance is needful unto all, who would prosper in 

either world ; 
And the mild light of her sweet face is mirrored in the eyes 

of her companions, 
And straightway stand they accepted, children of penitence 

and love. 
As when the blind man is nigh unto a rose, its sweetness is 

the herald of its beauty, 
So when thou savorest humility, be sure thou art nigh unto 

merit. 
A gift rejoiceth the covetous, and praise fatteneth the vain, 
And the pride of man delighteth in the humble bearing of 

his fellow ; 
But to the tender benevolence of the unthanked Almoner of 

good. 
Humility is queen among the graces, for she giveth him oc- 
casion to bestow. 



58 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



OF PRIDE. 

Deep is the sea, and deep is hell, but Pride mineth deeper ; 
It is coiled as a poisonous worm about the foundations of the 

soul. 
If thou expose it in thy motives, and track it is thy springs 

of thought. 
Complacent in its own detection, it will seem indignant 

virtue ; 
Smoothly will it gratiilate thy skill, O subtle anatomist of 

self, 
And spurn at its very being, while it nestleth tke deeper in 

thy bosom. 
Pride is a double traitor, and betrayeth itself to entrap thee, 
Making thee vain of thy self-knowledge ; proud of thy dis- 
coveries of pride. 
Fruitlessly thou strainest for humility, by darkly diving into 

self: 
Rather look away from innate evil, and gaze upon extrane- 
ous good : 
For in sounding the deep things of the heart, thou shalt learn 

to be vain of its capacities, 
But in viewing the heights above thee, thou shalt be taught 

thy littleness : 
Could an ennnet pry into itself, it might marvel at its own 

anatomy. 
But let it look on eagles, to discern how mean a thing it is. 
And all things hang upon comparison ; to the greater, great 

is small : 
Neither is there anything so vile, but somewhat yet is viler: 
On all sides is there an infinity : the culprit at the gallows 

hath his worse, 
And the virgin martyr at the stake need not look far for a 

better. 



SERIES I.] 



OF PR[DE. 



59 



Therefore see thou that thine aim reacheth unto higher than 

thyself: 
Beware that the standard of thy soul wave from the loftiest 

battlement : 
For pride is a pestilent meteor, flitting on the marshes of 

corruption, 
That will lure thee forward to thy death, if thou seek to 

track it to its source : 
Pride is a gloomy bow, arching the infernal firmament. 
That will lead thee on, if thou wilt hunt it, even to the 

dwelling of despair. 
Deep calleth unto deep, and mountain overtoppeth mountnin, 
And still shalt thou fathom to no end the depth and the 

height of {iride : 
For it is the vast ambition of the soul, warped to an idol 

object. 
And nothing but a Deity in Self can quench its insatiable 

thirst. 



Be aware of the smiling enemy, that openly sheatheth his 
wenpon, 

But mingloth poison in secret with the sacred salt of hospi- 
tality : 

For pride will lie dormant in thy heart, to snatch its secret 
opportunity. 

Watching, as a lion-ant, in the bottom of its toils. 

Stay not to parley with thy foe, for his tongue is more potent 
than his arm. 

But be wiser, fighting against pride in the simple panoply of 
prayer. 

As one also of the poets hath said, let not the Proteus escape 
thee ; (13) 

For he will blaze forth as fire, and quench himself in like- 
ness of water ; 

He will fright thee as a roaring beast, or charm thee as a 
subtle reptile. 



60 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Mark, amid all his transformations, the complicate deceitful- 

ness of pride. 
And the more he striveth to elude thee, bind him the closer 

in thy toils. 
Prayer is the net that snareth him ; prayer is the fetter that 

holdeth him : 
Thoii canst not nourish pride, while waiting as an almsman 

on thy God, — 
Waiting in sincerity and trust, or pride shall meet thee even 

there ; 
Yea, from the palaces of Heaven, hath pride cast down his 

millions. 
Root up the mandrake from thy heart, though it cost thee 

blood and groans. 
Or the cherished garden of thy graces will fade and perish 

utterly. 



OF EXPERIENCE. 



I KNEW that age was enriched with the hard-earned wages 
of knowledge, 

And I saw that hoary wisdom was bred in the school of dis- 
appointment : 

I noted that the wisest of youth, though provident and cau- 
tious of evil. 

Yet sailed along unsteadily, as lacking some ballast of the 
mind : 

And the cause seemed to lie in this, that while they con- 
sidered around them. 

And warded off all dangers from without, they forgat their 
own weakness within. 

So steer they in self-confidence, until, from the multitude of 
perils. 

They begin to be weary of themselves, and learn the first 
lessons of Experience. 



SERIES I.J 



OF EXPERIENCE. 



61 



I knew that in the morning of life, before its wearisome 
journey, 

The youthful soul doth expand, in the simple luxury of 
being ; 

It hath not contracted its wishes, nor set a limit to its hopes ; 

The wing of fancy is unclipt, and sin hath not seared the 
feelings : 

Each feature is stamped with immortality, for all its desires 
are infinite. 

And it seeketh an ocean of happiness, to fill the deep hollow 
within. 

But the old and the grave look on, pitj^ing that generous 
youth, 

For they also have tasted long ago the bitterness of hope de- 
stroyed : 

They pity him, and are sad, remembering the days that are 
past, 

But they know he must taste for himself, or he will not give 
ear to their wisdom. 

For Experience hath another lesson, which a man will do 
well if he learn. 

By checking the flight of expectation, to cheat disappoint- 
ment of its pain. 



Experience teacheth many things, and all men are his 

scholars : 
Yet is he a strange tutor, un teaching that which he hath 

taught. 
Youth is confident, manhood wary, and old age confident 

again : 
Youth is kind, manhood cold, and age returneth unto kindness. 
For youth suspecteth naught, till manhood, bitterly learned, 
Mistrustelh all, overleaping the mark ; and age correcteth his 

excess. 
Suspicion is the scaffold unto faith, a temporary needful 

eyesore. 



62 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



By which the strong man's dwelling is slowly builded up 

behind : 
But soon as the top-stone hath been set to the well-proved 

goodly pyramid, 
The scaffold is torn down, and well-timed trust taketh its 

long leave of suspicion, 
A thousand volumes in a thousand tongues, enshrine the 

lessons of Experience, 
Yet a man shall read them all, and go forth none the wiser : 
For self-love lendeth him a glass, to color all he conueth, 
Lest in the features of another he find his own complexion. 
And we secretly judge of ourselves, as differing greatly from 

all men. 
And love to challenge causes to show how we cau master 

their effects ; 
Pride is pampered in expecting that we need not fear a com- 
mon fate. 
Or wrong-headed prejudice exulteth, in combating old expe- 
rience ; 
Or perchance caprice and discontent are the spurs that goad 

us into danger. 
Careless, and half in hope to find there an enemy to joust 

with. 
Private experience is an unsafe teacher, for we rarely learn 

both sides. 
And from the gilt surface reckon not on steel beneath : 
The torrid sons of Guinea think scorn of icy seas, 
And the frostbitten Greenlander disbelieve th suns too hot. 
But thou, student of Wisdom, feed on the marrow of the 

matter ; 
If thou wilt suspect, let it be thyself; if thou wilt expect, let 

it not be gladness. 



SERIES I.] OF ESTIMATING CHARACTER. 



63 



OF ESTIMATING CHARACTER. 

Rashly, nor ofttimes truly, doth man pass judgment on his 
brother ; 

For he seeth not the springs of the heart, nor heareth the 
reasons of the rnind. 

And the world is not wiser than of old, when justice was 
meted by the sword, 

When the spear avenged the wrong, and the lot decided the 
right, 

When the footsteps of blindfold innocence were tracked by 
burning ploughshares. 

And the still condemning water delivered up the wizard to 
the stake : 

For we wait, like the sage of Salamis, to see what the end 
will be, (H) 

Fixing the right or the wrong, by the issues of failure or suc- 
cess. 

Judge not of things by their events ; neither of character by 
providence ; 

And count not a man more evil, because he is more unfortu- 
nate ; 

For the blessings of a better covenant lie not in the sunshine 
of prosperity. 

But pain and chastisement the rather show the wise Father's 
love. 



Behold that daughter of the world ; she is full of gaiety and 

gladness ; 
The diadem of rank is on her brow, uncounted wealth is in 

her coffers : 
She tricketh out her beauty like Jezebel, and is welcome in 

the courts of kings ; 



64 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



She is queen of the fools of fashion, and ruleth the revels of 

luxury. 
And though she sitteth not as Tamar, nor standeth in the 

ways as Rahab, 
Yet in the secret of her chamber, she shrinketh not from dal- 
liance and guilt. 
She careth not if there be a God, or a soul, or a time of 

retribution, 
Pleasm*e is the idol of her heart : she thirsteth for no purer 

heaven. 
And she laugheth with light good humor, and all men praise 

her gentleness ; 
They are glad in her lovely smile, and the river of her bounty 

filleth them. 
So she prospered in the world : the worship and desire of 

thousands ; 
And she died even as she had lived, careless and courteous 

and liberal. 
The grave swallowed up her pomp, the marble proclaimed 

her virtues. 
For men esteemed her excellent, and charities sounded forth 

her praise ; 
But elsewhere far other judgment setteth her — with infidels 

and harlots ! 
She abused the trust of her splendor : and the wages of her 

sin shall be hereafter. 



Look again on this fair girl, the orphan of a village pastor 
Who is dead, and hath left her his all, — his blessing, and a 

name unstained. 
And friends, with busy zeal, that their purses be not taxed, 
Place the sad mourner in a home, poor substitute for that 

she hath lost. 
A stranger among strange faces, she drinketh the wormwood 

of dependence ; 



SERIES I.] OF ESTIMATING CHARACTER. 



65 



She is marked as a child of want ; and the world hateth 

poverty. 
Prayer is not heard in that house : the day she hath loved to 

hallow 
Is noted but by deeper dissipation, the riot of luxury and 

gaming : 
And wantonness is in her master's eye, and she hath no- 
where to flee to ; 
She is cared for by none upon earth, and her God seemeth to 

forsake her. 
Then cometh, in fair show, the promise, and the feint of 

affection. 
And her heart, long unused to kindness, remembereth her 

father, and loveth. 
And the villain hath wronged her trust, and mocked, and 

flung her from him. 
And men point at her and laugh ; and women hate her as an 

outcast : 
But elsewhere, far other judgment setteth her — among the 

martyrs ! 
And the Lord, who seemed to forsake, giveth double glory to 

the fallen. 



Once more, in the matter of wealth : if thou throw thine 
all on a chance. 

Men will come around thee, and wait, and watch the turning 
of the wheel ; 

And if, in the lottery of life, thou hast drawn a splendid prize. 

What foresight hadst thou, and skill ! yea, what enterprise 
and wisdom ! 

But if it fall out against thee, and thou fail in thy perilous 
endeavor. 

Behold, the simple did sow, and hath reaped the right har- 
vest of his folly. 

And the world will be gladly excused, nor will reach out a 

finger to help ; 

6* 



66 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



For why should this speculative dullard be a whirlpool to all 

around him 1 
Go to, let him sink by himself: we knew what the end of it 

would be : — 
For the man hath missed his mark, and his fellows look no 

further. 



Also, touching guilt and innocence : a man shall walk in 
his uprightness 

Year after year without reproach, in charity and honesty 
with all : 

But in one evil hour the enemy shall come in like a flood ; 

Shall track him and tempt him, and hem him, — till he 
knovveth not whither to fly. 

Perchance his famishing little ones shall scream in his er^rs 
for bread, 

And, maddened by that fierce cry, he rusheth as a thief upon 
the world ; 

The world that hath left him to starve, itself wallowing in 
plenty, — 

The world, that denieth him his rights, — he daringly rob- 
beth it of them. 

I say not, such an one is innocent : but small is the measure 
of his guilt 

To that of his wealthy neighbor, who would not help him at 
his need ; 

To that of the selfish epicure, who turned away with cold- 
ness from his tale ; 

To that of unsuffering thousands, who look with compla- 
cence on his fall. 



Or perchance the continual dropping of the venomed words 

of spite, 
Insult and injury and scorn, have galled and pierced his 

heart ; 



SERIES I.J OF ESTIMATING CHARACTER. 



67 



Yet, with all long-sufFaring and meekness, he forgiveth uuto 
seventy times seven: 

Till, in some weaker moment, tempted beyond endurance, 

He striketh, more in anger than in hate ; and, alas ! for his 
heavy chance, 

He hath smitten unto instant death his spiteful life-long 
enemy I 

And none was by to see it ; and all men knew of their con- 
tentions : 

Fierce voices shout for his blood, and rude hands hurry him 
to judgment. 

Then man's verdict cometh, — Murderer, with forethought 
malice ; 

And his name is a note of execration; his guilt is too black 
for devils. 

But to the righteous Judge seemeth he the suffering vi ctim ; 

For his anger was not unlawful, but became him as a 
Christian and a man ; 

And though his guilt was grievous when he struck that 
heavy bitter blow, 

Yet light is the sin of the smiter, and verily kicketh the 
beam, 

To the weight of that man's wickedness, whose slow relent- 
less hatred 

Met him at every turn, with patient continuance in evil. 

Doubtless, eternal wrath shall be heaped upon that spiteful 
enemy. 



It is vain, it is vain, saith the preacher ; there be none but 
the righteous and the wicked. 

Base rebels, and staunch allies, the true knight, and the 
traitor ; 

And he beareth strong witness among men, There is no neu- 
tral ground. 

The broad highway and narrow path map out the whole 
domain ; 



68 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Sit here among the saints, these holy chosen few, 

Or grovel there a wretch condemned, to die among the mil- 
lion. 

And verily for ultimate results, there be but good and bad ; 

Heaven hath no dusky twilight ; hell is not gladdened with 
a dawn. 

Yet looking round among his fellows, who can pass righteous 
judgment, 

Such an one is holy and accepted, and such an one reprobate 
and doomed ? 

There is so much of good among the worst, so much of evil 
in the best, 

Such seeming partialities in providence, so many things to 
lessen and expand. 

Yea, and with all man's boast, so little real freedom of his 
will,— 

That, to look a little lower than the surface, garb or dialect 
or fashion, 

Thou shalt feebly pronounce for a saint, and faintly condemn 
for a sinner. 

Over many a heart good and true, fluttereth the Great King's 
pennant : 

By many an iron hand, the pirate's black banner is unfurled : 

But there be many more besides, in the yacht and the trader 
and the fishing boat, 

In the feather'd war-canoe, and the quick mysterious gon- 
dola: 

And the army of that Great King hath no stated uniform ; 

Of mingled characters and Idnds goeth forth the countless 
host ; 

There is the turbaned Damascene, with his tatooed Zealand 
brother. 

There the slbn bather in the Ganges, with the sturdy Rus- 
sian boor, 

The sluggish inmate of a polar cave, with the fire souled 
daughter of Brazil, 



HIHJiii 



SERIES I.J OF ESTIMATING CHARACTER. 



69 



The embriited slave from Cuba, and the Briton of gentle 

birth. 
For all are His inheritance, of all He taketh tithe : 
And the Church, his mercy's ark, hath some of every sort. 
Who art thou, O man, that art fixing the limits of the fold 1 
Wherefore settest thou stakes to spread the tent of heaven 1 
Lay not the plummet to the line : religion hath no land- 
marks : 
No human keenness can discern the subtle shades of faith : 
In some it is as earliest dawn, the scarce diluted darkaess ; 
In some as dubious twilight, cold and grey and gloomy ; 
In some the ebon east is streaked with flaming gold : 
In some the dayspring from on high breaketh in all its 

praise. 
And who hath determined the when, separating light from 

darkness 1 
Who shall pluck from earliest dawn the promise of the day 1 
Leave that care to the Husbandman, lest thou garner tares ; 
Help thou the Shepherd in his seeking, but to separate be his : 
For I have often seen the noble erring spirit 
Wrecked on the shoals of passion, and numbered of the lost; 
Often the generous heart, lit by unhallowed fire. 
Counted a brand among the burning, and left uncared-for, in 

his sin : 
Yet I waited a little year, and the mercy thou hadst for- 
gotten. 
Hath purged that noble spirit, washing it in waters of re- 
pentance ; 
That glowing generous heart, having burnt out all its dross. 
Is as a golden censer, ready for the aloes and cassia: 
While thou, h-ird-visaged m in, unlovely in thy strictness, 
Who turned from him thy sympathies with self-complacent 

pride, 
How art thou shnmed by him ! his heart is a spring of love, 
While the dry well of thine affections is choked with secret 
mammon. 



70 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Sometimes at a glance thou judgest well ; years could add 

little to thy knowledge : 
When charity gloweth on the cheek, or malice is lowering in 

the eye, 
When honesty's open brow, or the weasel-face of cunning is 

before thee. 
Or the loose lip of wantonness, or clear bright forehead of 

reflection. 
But often, by shrewd scrutiny, thou judgest to the good man's 

harm : 
For it may be his hour of trial, or he slum.bereth at his post. 
Or he hath slain his foe, but not yet levelled the stronghold. 
Or barely recovered of the wounds, that fleshed him in his 

fray with passion. 
Also, of the worst, through prejudice, thou loosely shalt think 

well : 
For none is altogether evil, and thou mayst catch him at his 

prayers : 
There may be one small prize, though all beside be blanks ; 
A silver thread of goodness in the black sergecloth of crime. 



There is to whom all things are easy : his mind, as a master- 
key. 

Can open, with intuitive address, the treasuries of art and 
science : 

There is to whom all things are hard ; but industry giveth 
him a crow-bar. 

To force, with groaning labor, the stubborn lock of learning : 

And often, when thou lookest on an eye, dim in native dul- 
ness, 

Little shalt thou wot of the wealth diligence hath gathered 
to its gaze ; 

Often the brow that should be bright with the dormant fire 
of genius. 

Within its ample halls, hath ignorance the tenant. 

Yet are not the sons of men cast as in moulds by the lot 1 



SERIES I.J OF ESTIMATING CHARACTER. 



71 



The like in frame and feature have much alike in spirit ; 

Such a shape hath such a soul, so that a deep discerner 

From his make will read the man, and err not far in judg- 
ment: 

Yea, and it holdeth in the converse, that growing similarity 
of mind 

Findeth or maketh for itself an apposite dwelling in the body : 

Accident may modify, circumstance may bevil, externals 
seem to change it, 

But still the primitive crystal is latent in its many variations : 

For the map of the face, and the picture of the eye, are traced 
by the pen of passion ; 

And the mind foshioneth a tabernacle suitable for itself. 

A mean spirit bovveth down the back, and the bowing foster- 
eth meanness ; 

A resolute purpose knitteth the knees, and the firm tread 
nourisheth decision ; 

Love looketh softly from the eye, and kindleth love by look- 

ina • 

Hate furroweth the brow, and a man may frown till he hat- 

eth: 
For mind and body, spirit and matter, have reciprocities of 

power, 
And each keepeth up the strife ; a man's works make or mar 

him. 



There be deeper things than these, lying in the twilight of 
truth ; 

But few can discern them aright, from surrounding dimness of 
error. 

For perchance, if thou knewest the whole, and largely with 
comprehensive mind 

Cowldst read the history of character, the chequered story 
of a life. 

And into the great account, which summeth a mortal's des- 
tiny, 



72 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

Wert to add the forces from without, dragging him this way 
and that, 

And the secret qualities within, grafted on the soul from the 
womb, 

And the might of other men's example, among whom his lot 
is cast, 

And the influence of want, or wealth, of kindness, or harsh 
ill-usage, 

Of ignorance he cannot help, and knowledge found for him 
by others. 

And first impressions, hard to be effaced, and leadings to 
right or to wrong, 

And inheritance of likeness from a father, and natural human 
frailty. 

And the habit of health or disease, and prejudices poured 
into his mind. 

And the myriad little matters none but Omniscience can 
know. 

And accidents that steer the thoughts, where none but Ubi- 
quity can trace them ; — 

If thou couldst compass all these, and the consequents flow- 
ing from them, 

And the scope to which they tend, and the necessary fitness 
of all things, 

Then shouldst thou see as He seeth, who judgeth all men 
equal, — 

Equal touching innocence and guilt ; and different alone in 
this, 

That one acknowledgeth his evil, and looketh to his God for 
mercy ; 

Another boasteth of his good, and calleth on his God for 
justice ; 

So He, that sendeth none away, is largely munificent to 
prayer. 

But, in the heart of presumption, sheathed the sword of ven- 
geance. 



SERIES I. 



OF HATRED AND ANGER. 



73 



OF HATRED AND ANGER. 

Blunted unto goqdness is the heart which anger never stir- 
re th, 
But that which hatred swelleth, is keen to carve out evil. 
Anger is a noble infirmity-, the generous failing of the just, 
The one degree that riseth above zeal asserting the preroga- 
tives of virtue : 
But hatred is a slow continuing crime, a fire in the bad man's 

breast, 
A dull and hungry flame, for ever craving insatiate. 
Hatred would harm another ; anger would indulge itself: 
Hatred is a simmering poison ; anger, the opening of a valve : 
Hatred destroyeth as the upas-tree ; anger smiteth as a staff: 
Hatred is the atmosphere of hell ; but anger is known in hea- 
ven. 
Is there not a righteous wrath, an anger just and holy, 
When goodness is sitting in the dust, and wickedness en- 
throned on Babel 1 
Doth pity condemn guilt 1 — is justice not a feeling but a law 
Appealing to the line and to the plummet, incognisant of 

moral sense 1 
Thou that condemnest anger, small is thy sympathy with 

angels, 
Thou that hast accounted it for sin, cold is thy communion 
- with heaven. 



Beware of the angry in his passion ; but fear not to approach 

him afterward ; 
For if thou acknowledge thine error, he himself will be sorry 

for his wrath : 
Beware of the hater in his coolness : for he meditateth evil 

against thee ; 

7 



74 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

Commending the resources of his mind calmly to work thy 
ruin. 

Deceit and treachery skulk with hatred, but an honest spirit 
flieth with anger : 

The one lieth secret, as a serpent ; the other chaseth, as a 
leopard. 

Speedily be reconciled in love, and receive the returning of- 
fender, 

For wittingly prolonging anger, thou tamperest unconsciously 
with hatred. 

Patience is power in a man, nerving him to rein his spirit : 

Passion is as palsy to his arm, while it yelleth on the cours- 
ers to their speed : 

Patience keepeth counsel, and standeth in solid self-posses- 
sion. 

But the weakness of sudden passion layeth bare the secrets 
of the soul. 

The sentiment of anger is not ill, when thou lookest on the 
impudence of vice. 

Or savorest the breath of calumny, or hast earned the hard 
wages of injustice, 

But see thou that thou curb it in expression, rendering the 
mildness of rebuke. 

So shalt thou stand without reproach, mailed in all the dig- 
nity of virtue. 



OF GOOD IN THINGS EVIL. 

I HEARD the man of sin reproaching the goodness of Jehovah, 
Wherefore, if he be Almighty Love, permitteth he misery 

and pain? 
I saw the child of hope vexed in the labyrinth of doubt. 
Wherefore, O holy One and just, is the horn of thy foul foe 

so high exalted ? — 



SERIES I.J OF GOOD IN THINGS EVIL. 



75 



And, alas ! for this our groaning world, for that grief and 

guilt are here ; 
Alas ! for that Earth is the battle-field, where good must com- 
bat with evil : 
Angels look on and hold their breath, burning to mingle in 

the conflict, 
But the troops of the Captain of Salvation may be none but 

the soldiers of the cross : 
And that slender band must fight alone, and yet shall tri- 
umph gloriously, 
Enough shall they be for conquest, and the motto of their 

standard is Enough. 
Thou art sad, O denizen of earth, for pains and diseases and 

death, 
But remember, thy hand hath earned them ; grudge not at 

the wages of thy doings : 
Thy guilt, and thy fathers' guilt, must bring many sorrows in 

their company, 
And if thou wilt drink sweet poison, doubtless it shall rot 

thee to the core. 
What art thou but the heritor of evil, with a right to nothing 

good? 
The respite of an interval of ease were a boon which Justice 

might deny thee : 
Therefore lay thy hand upon thy mouth, O man much to be 

forgiven, 
And wait, thou child of hope, for time shall teach thee all 

things. 



Yet hear, for my speech shall comfort thee ; reverently, but 

with boldness, 
I would raise the sable curtain, that hideth the symmetry of 

Providence. 
Pain and sin are convicts, and toil in their fetters for good ; 
The weapons of evil are turned against itself, fighting under 

better banners : 



76 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

The leech delighu^th in stinging, and the wicked loveth to do 
harui. 

But the wise Physician of the universe useth that ill ten- 
dency for health. 

Verily, from others' griefs lure gendered sympathy and kind- 
ness; 

Patience, humility, and faith, spring not seldom from thine 
own : 

An enemy, humbled by his sorrows, cannot be far from thy 
forgiveness, 

A friend, who hath tasted of calamity, shall fim tlie dj-ing 
incense of thy love : 

And for thyself, is it a smt\ll thing, so to learn thy frailty, 

That from an aching bone thou savest the whole body 1 

The furnace of attiiction may be tierce, but it relinetli thy 
soul. 

The good of one meek thought shall outweigh years of tor- 
ment. 

Nevertheless, wretched man, if thy bad heart be hardened in 
the flame. 

Being earth-born as of clay, and not of moulded \%Tix, 

Judge not the hand that smiteth, as if thou wert visited in 
wrath ; 

Reproach thyself, for He is Justice : repent thee, for He is 
Mercy. 

Cease, fond caviller at wisdom, to be satisfied that every- 
thing is wrong : 

Be sure there is good necessity, even for the flourishing of 
evil. 

Would the eye delight in i^erpetual noon ? or the ear in un- 
qujilified harmonies ? 

Hath winter's frost no welcome, contrasting sturdily with 
summer ? 

Couldst thou discern benevolence, if there were no sorrows 
to be soothed 1 



.J 



SERIES i.j OF GOOD IN THINGS EVIL. 



77 



Or discover the resources of contrivance, if nothing stood op- 
posed to the means 1 
What were power without an enemy 1 or mercy without an 

object 1 
Or truth, where the false were impossible 1 or love, where 

love were a debt 1 
The characters of God were but idle, if all things around 

him were perfection, 
And virtues might slumber on like death, if they lacked the 

opportunities of evil. 
There is one all-perfect, and but one ; man dare not reason 

of His Essence. 
But there must be deficiencies in heaven, to leave room for 

progression in bliss : 
A realm of unqualified best were a stagnant pool of being. 
And the circle of absolute perfection, the abstract cipher of 

indolence. 
Sin is an awful shadow, but it addeth new glories to the 

light ; 
Sin is a black foil, but it setteth off" the jewelry of heaven : 
Sin is the ti-aitor that hath dragged the majesty of mercy into 

action ; 
Sin is the whelming argument, to justify the attribute of 

vengeance. 
It is a deep dark thought, and needeth to be diligently studied, 
But perchance evil was essential, that God should be seen of 

his creatures : 
For where perfection is not, there lacketh possible good, 
And the absence of better that might be, taketh from the 

praise of it is well : 
And creatures must be finite, and finite cannot be perfect; 
Therefore, though in small degree, creation involveth evil. 
He chargeth his angels with folly, and the heavens are not 

clean in His sight : 
For every existence in the universe hath either imperfection 

or Godhead : 

7* 



73 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

And the light that blazeth but in One, must be softened with 

shadow for the many. 
There is then good in evil ; or none could have known his 

Maker ; 
No spiritual intellect or essence could have gazed on his high 

perfections, 
No angel harps could have tuned the wonders of his wisdom, 
No ransomed souls have praised the glories of his mercy, 
No howling fiends have shown the terrors of his justice, 
Bui God would have dwelt alone in the fearful solitude of 

holiness. 



Nevertheless, O sinner, harden not thine heart in evil ; 

Nor plume thee in imaginary triumph, because thou art not 
valueless as vile ; 

Because thy dark abominations add lustre to the clarity of 
Light ; 

Because a wonder-working alchemy draineth elixir out of 
poisons ; 

Because the same fiery volcano that scorcheth and ravageth 
a continent, 

Hath in the broad blue bay cast up some petty island ; 

Because to the full demonstration of the qualities and acci- 
dents of good. 

The swarthy legions of the devil ha,ve toiled as unwitting 
pioneers ; 

For sin is still sin : so hateful Love doth hate it ; 

A blot on the glory of creation, which justice must wipe out. 

Sin is a loathsome leprosy, fretting the white robe of inno- 
cence ; 

A rottenness, eating out the heart of the royal cedars of Le- 
banon ; 

A pestilential blast, the terror of that holy pilgrimage ; 

A rent in the sacred veil, whereby God left his temple. 

Therefore, consider thyself, thou that dost not sorrow for thy 
guilt : 



SERIES I.J OF GOOD IN THINGS EVIL. 

Fear evil, or face its enemy : dread sin, or dare justice. 



79 



Yea, saith the Spirit : and their works do follow them ; 

Habits, and thoughts, and deeds, are shadows and satellites 
of self. 

What ! shall the claimant to a throne stand forward with a 
rabble rout, — 

Meanness, impiety, and lust; riot and indolence and vanity? 

Nay, man ! the train wherewith thou comest attend whither 
thou shalt go. 

A throne for a king's son, but an inner dungeon for the felon. 

For a man's works do follow him : bodily, standing in the 
judgment, 

Behold the false accuser, behold the slandered saint ; 

The slave, and his bloody driver ; the poor, and his generous 
friend ; 

The simple dupe, and the crafty knave : the murderer, and — 
his victim I 

Yet are all in many characters ; the best stand guilty at the 
bar; 

And he that seemed the worst may have most of real excuse. 

The talents unto which a man is born, be they few or many. 

Are dropped into the balance of account, working unlooked- 
for changes. 

And perchance the convict from the galleys may stand above 
the hermit from his cell. 

For that the obstacles in one outweigh the propensions in the 
other. 

There be, who have made themselves friends, yea, by un- 
righteous mammon, — 

Friends, ready waiting as an escort to those everlasting habi- 
tations ; 

Embodied in living witnesses, thronging to meet them in a 
cloud. 

Charity, meekness and tnith, zeal, sincerity and patience. 

There be, who have made themselves foes, yea by honest gain. 



80 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Foes, whose plaint must have its answer, before the bright 

portal is unbarred : 
Pride, and selfishness, and sloth, apathy, wrath and false- 
hood, 
Bind .to their everlasting toil many that must weary in the 

fires. 
Love hath a power and a longing to save the gatluered world, 
And rescue universal man from the hunting hell-hounds of 

his doings : 
Yet few, here one, and there one, scanty as the gleaning after 

harvest, 
Are glad of the robes of praise which Mercy would fling 

around the naked ; 
But wrapping closer to their skin the poisoned tunic of their 

works. 
They stand in self-dependence to perish in abandonment of 

God. 



OF PRAYER. 



A WICKED man scorneth prayer, in the shallow sophistry of 
reason ; 

He derideth the silly hope, that God can be moved by sup- 
plication : — 

Can the unchangeable be changed or waver in his purpose 1 

Can the weakness of pity affect him 1 Should he turn at 
the bidding of a man 1 

Methought he ruled all things, and ye called his decrees im- 
mutable, 

But if thus he listeneth to words, wherein is the firmness of 
his will 1— 

So I heard the speech of the wicked, and, lo, it was smoother 
than oil ; 

But I knew that his reasonings were false, for the promise 
of the Scripture is true : 



SERIES I.J 



OF PRAYER. 



81 



Yet was my soul in darkness, for his words were too hard 

for me ; 
Till I turned to my God in prayer, for I know he heareth 

always. 
Then I looked abroad on the earth, and, behold, the Lord 

was in aU things ; 
Yet saw I not his hand in aught, but perceived that he work- 

eth by means ; 
Yea, and the power of the mean proveth the wisdom that 

ordained it. 
Yea, and no act is useless, to the hurling of a stone through 

the air. 
So I turned my thoughts to supplication, and beheld the mer- 
cies of Jehovah, 
And I saw sound argument was still the faithful friend of 

godliness ; 
For as the rock of the affections is the solid approval of 

reason, 
Even so the temple of Religion is founded on the basis of 

Philosophy. 



ScoRNER, thy thoughts are weak, they reach not the summit 

of the matter ; 
Go to, for the mouth of a child might show thee the mystery 

of prayer : 
Verily there is no change in the counsels of the Mighty 

Ruler : 
Verily, his purpose is strong, and rooted in the depths of ne- 
cessity : 
But who hath shown thee his purpose, who hath made 

known to thee his will 1 
When, O gainsayer, hast thou been schooled in the secrets 

of wisdom '? 
Fate is a creature of God, and all things move in their orbits, 
And that which shall surely happen is known unto him from 

eternity ; 



82 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



But as, in the field of nature, he useth the sinews of the ox, 

And commnndeth diligence and toil, himself giving the in- 
crease ; 

So, in the kingdom of his grace, granteth he omnipotence to 
prayer, 

For he knoweth what thou wilt ask, and what thoii wilt ask 
aright. 

No man can pray in faith, whose prayer is not grounded on a 
promise : 

Yet a good man commendeth all things to the righteous wis- 
dom of his God : 

For those who pray in faith, trust the immutable Jehovah, 

And they, who ask blessings unpromised, lean on uncove- 
nanted mercy. 



Man, regard thy prayers as a purpose of love to thy soul ; 

Esteem the providence that led to them as an index of God's 
goodwill : 

So shalt thou pray aright, and thy words shall meet with ac- 
ceptance. 

Also, in pleading for others, be thankful for the fulness of thy 
prayer. 

For if thou art ready to ask, the Lord is more ready to be- 
slow. 

The salt preserveth the sea, and the saints uphold the earth ; 

Their prayers are the thousand pillars that prop the canopy 
of nature. 

Verily, an hour without prayer, from some terrestrial mind. 

Were a curse in the calendar of time, a spot of the blackness 
of darkness. 

Perchance the terrible day, when the world must rock into 
ruins, 

Will be one unwhitened by prayer, — shall He find faith on 
the earth 1 

For there is an economy of mercy, as of wisdom, and power, 
a lid means ; 



SERIES I.J 



OF PRAYER. 



83 



Neither is one blessing granted, unbesought from the treasury 

of good : 
And the charitable heart of the Being, to depend upon whom 

is happiness, 
Never withholdeth a bounty, so long as his subject prayeth ; 
Yea, ask what thou wilt, to the second throne in heaven, 
It is thine, for whom it was appointed ; there is no limit unto 

prayer : 
But and if thou cease to ask, tremble, thou self-suspended 

creature. 
For thy strength is cut off as was Samson's : and the hour of 

thy doom is come. 

Frail art thou, O man, as a bubble on the breaker. 

Weak and governed by externals, like a poor bird caught in 

the storm ; 
Yet thy momentary breath can still the raging waters. 
Thy hand can touch a lever that may move the world. 
O Merciful, we strike eternal covenant with thee, 
For man may take for his ally the King who ruleth kings : 
How strong, yet how most weak, in utter poverty how rich. 
What possible omnipotence to good is dormant in a man ! 
Behold that fragile form of delicate transparent beauty. 
Whose light-blue eye and hectic cheek are lit by the balefires 

of decline, 
All droopingly she lieth, as a dew- laden lily, 
Her flaxen tresses, rashly luxuriant, dank with unhealthy 

moisture ; 
Hath not thy heart said of her, Alas ! poor child of weakness ? 
Thou hast erred ; Goliath of Gath stood not in half her 

strength : 
Terribly she fighteth in the van as the virgin daughter of 

Orleans, 
She beareth the banner of heaven, her onset is the rushing 

cataract. 
Seraphim rally at her side, and the captain of that host is God, 



84 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



And the serried ranks of evil are routed by the lightning of 

her eye, 
She is the King's remembrancer, and steward of many bless- 
ings, 
Holding the buckler of security over her unthankful land : 
For that weak fluttering heart is strong in faith assured, 
Dependence is her might, and behold — she prayeth. 

Angels are round the good man, to catch the incense of his 

prayerj5, 
And they fly to minister kindness to those for whom he 

pleadeth ; 
For the altar of his heart is lighted, and burneth before God 

continually, 
And he breatheth, conscious of his joy, the native atmosphere 

of heaven. 
Yea, though poor, and contemned, and ignorant of this 

world's wisdom, 
111 can his fellows spare him though they know not of his 

value. 
Thousands bewail a hero, and a nation mourneth for its king, 
But the whole universe lamenteth the loss of a man of prayer. 
Verily, were it not for One, who sitteth on his rightful throue, 
Crowned with a rainbow of emerald, {^^) the green memorial 

of earth, — 
For one, a mediating man, that hath clad his Godhead with 

mortality, 
And otfereth prayer without ceasing, the royal priest of 

Nature, 
Matter and life and mind had sunk into dark annihilation, 
'*Aud the lightning frown of Justice withered the world into 

nothing. 



Thus, O worshipper of reason, thou hast heard the sum of the 

matter ; 
And woe to his hairy scalp that restraineth prayer before God. 



SERIES I.j 



THE LORD'S PRAYER. 



85 



Prayer is a creature's strength, his very breath and being ; 

Prayer is the golden key that can open the wicket of Mercy ; 

Prayer is the magic sound that saith to Fate, So be it ; 

Prayer is the slender nerve that moveth the muscles of Om- 
nipotence. 

Wherefore, pray, O creature, for many and great are thy 
wants ; 

Th^?^ mind, thy conscience, and thy being, thy rights com- 
mend thee unto prayer, 

The cure of all cares, the grand panacea for all pains. 

Doubt's destro3'er, ruin's remedy, the antidote to all anxieties. 

So then, God is true, and yet He hath not changed ; 
It is he that sendeth the petition, to answer it according to 
his will. 



THE LORD'S PRAYER 



Inquire ST thon, O man, wherewithal may I come unto the 

Lord 1 
And with what wonder-working sounds may I move the 

majesty of heaven 1 
There is a model to thy hand ; upon that do thou frame thy 

supplication. 
Wisdom hath measured its words, and redemption urgeth 

thee to use them. 
Call thy G od thy Father, and ^'■et not thine alone, 
For thou art but one of many, thy brotherhood is with all : 
Remember his high estate, that he dwelleth King of Heaven ; 
So shall thy thoughts be humbled, nor love be unmixed with 

reverence : 
Be thy first petition unselfish, the honor of Him who made 

thee. 

And that in the depths of thy heart his memory be shrined 

in holiness. 
8 



86 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Pray for that blessed time when good shall triumph OA'er evil, 
And one universal temple echo the perfections of Jehovah : 
Bend Ihou to his good-will, and subserve his hoi 7 purposes, 
Till in thee, and those around thee, grow a little heaven 

upon earth : 
Humbly, as a grateful almsman, beg thy bread of God, — 
Bread for thy triple estate, for thou hast a trinity of nature : 
Humility smootheth the way, and gratitude softeneth the 

heart. 
Be then thy pra^-er for pardon mingled with the tear of peni- 
tence ; 
Yea, and while, all unworthy, thou leanest on the hand that 

should smite. 
Thou canst not from thy fellows withhold thy less forgive- 
ness. 
To th3' father thy weaknesses are known, and thou hast not 

hid thy sin. 
Therefore ask him, in all trust, to lead thee from the dangers 

of temptation ; 
While the last petition of the soul that breatheth on the con- 
fines of prayer 
Is deliverance from sin and the evil one, the miseries of earth 

and hell. 
And wherefore, child of hope, should the rock of thy confi- 
dence be surel 
Thou knowest that God heareth, and promiseth an answer 

of peace ; 
Thou knowest that he is King, and none can stay his hand ; 
Thou knowest his power to be boundless, for there is none 

other : 
And to Him thou givest glory, as a creature of his workman- 
ship and favor. 
For the never-ending term of thy saved and bright existence. 



SERIES I.J 



OF DISCRETION. 



87 



OF DISCRETION 



For what then was I born 7 — to fill the circling year 
With daily toil for daily bread, with sordid pains and plea- 
sures 1 — 
To walk this chequered world, alternate light and darkness, 
The day-dream of deep thought followed by the night- 
dreams of fancy 1 — 
To be one in a full procession 1 — to dig my kindred clay 1 — 
To decorate the gallery of art? — to clear a few acres of 

forest ? 
For more than these, my soul, thy God hath lent thee life. 
Is then that noble end to feed this mind with knowledge, 
To mix for mine own thirst the sparkling wine of wisdom, 
To light with many lamps the caverns of my heart, 
To reap, in the furrows of my brain, good harvest of right 

reasons 1 — 
For n^ore than these, my soul, thy God hath lent thee life. 
Is it to grow stronger in self-government, to check the chafing 

will. 
To curb with tightening rein the mettled steeds of passion. 
To welcome with calm heart, far in the voiceless desert. 
The gracious visitings of heaven that bless my single self? — 
For more than these, my soul, thy God hath lent thee life. 
To aim. at thine own happiness, is an end idolatrous and evil. 
In earth, yea in heaven, if thou seek it for itself, seeking thou 

shalt not find. 
Happiness is a roadside flower, growing on the highways of 

Usefulness, 
Plucked, it shall wither in thy hand ; passed by, it is fra- 
grance to thy spirit : 
Love not thine own soul, regard not thine own weal, 
Trample the thyme beneath thy feet ; be useful, and be 
happy ! 



88 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

Thus unto fair conclusions argueth generous youth, 

And quickly he starteth on his course, knight-errant to do 

good. 
His sword is edged with arguments, his vizor terrible with 

censures ; 
He goeth full mailed in faith, and zeal is flaming at his 

heart. 
Yet one thing helacketh, the Mentor of the mind, 
The quiet whisper of Discretion — Thy time is not yet come. 
For he smiteth an oppressor ; and vengeance for that smiting 
Is dealt in double stripes on the faint body of the victim : 
He is glad to give and to distribute ; and clamorous pauper- 
ism feasteth, 
While honest labor, pining, hideth his sharp ribs : 
He challengeth to a fair field that subtle giant Infidelity, 
And worsted in the unequal fight, strengtheneth the hands 

of error : 
He hasteth to teach and preach, as the war-horse rusheth to 

the battle, 
And to pave a way for truth, would break up the Appenines 

of prejudice : 
He wearieth by stale proofs, where none looked for a reason. 
And to the listening ear will urge the false argument of feel- 
ing. 
So hath it often been, that, judging by results, 
The hottest friends of truth have done her deadliest wrong. 
Alas ! for there are enemies without, glad enough to parley 

with a traitor, 
And a zealot will let down the drawbridge, to prove his own 

prowess : 
Yea, from within will he break away a breach in the citadel 

of truth. 
That he may fill the gap, for fame, with his own weak body. 



Zeal without judgment is an evil, though it be zeal unto 
good : 



SERIES I.J 



OF DISCRETION. 



89 



Touch not the ark with unclean hand, yea, though it seem 
to totter. 

There are evil who work good, and there are good who work 
evil, 

And foolish backers of wisdom have brought on her many 
reproaches. 

Truth hath more than enough to combat in the minds of all 
men. 

For the mist of sense is a thick veil, and sin hath warped 
their wills ; 

Yet doth an officious helper awkwardly prevent her victory, — 

These thy wounded hands were smitten in the house of 
friends : — 

To point out a meaning in her words, he will blat those 
words with his finger ; 

And winnow chaff into the eyes, before he hath wheat to 
show : 

He will heap sturdy logs on a faint expiring fire, 

And with a room in flames, will cast the casement open ; 

By a shoulder to the wheel downhill harasseth the laboring 
beast, 

And where obstruction were needed, will harm by an ill- 
judged thrusting-on. 

A vessel foundereth at sea, if a storm have unshipped the 
radder ; 

And a mind with much sail shall require heavy ballast. 

Take a lever by the middle, thou shalt seem to prove it pow- 
erless. 

Argue for truth indiscreetly, thou shalt toil for fnlsehood. 

There is plenty of room for a peaceable man m the most 
thronged assembly ; 

But a quarrelsome spirit is straitened in the open field : 

Many a teacher, lacking judgment, hindereth his own les- 
sons ; 

And the savory mess of pottage is spoiled by a bitter herb: 

The garment woven of a piece is rashly torn by schism, 

8* 



90 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Because its unwise claimants will not cast lots for its pos- 
session. 

Discretion guide thee on thy way, nobly-minded youth, 
Help thee to humor infirmities, to wink at innocent errors, 
To take small count of forms, to bear with prejudice and 

fancy : 
Discretion guard thine asking, discretion aid thine answer. 
Teach thee that well-timed silence hath more eloquence 

than speech. 
Whisper thee, thou art Weakness, though thy cause be 

strength. 
And tell thee, the keystone of an arch can be loosened with 

least labor from within. 
The snows of Hecla lie around its troubled smoking Geysers ; 
Let the cool streams of prudence temper the hot spring of 

zeal : 
So shalt thou gain thine honorable end, nor lose the midway 

prize, 
So shall thy life be useful, and thy young heart happy. 



OF TRIFLES. 



Yet once more, saith the fool, yet once, and is it not a little 

one"? 
Spare me this folly yet an hour, for what is one among so 

many 7 
And he blindeth his conscience with lies, and stupifieth his 

heart with doubts ; — 
Whom shall I harm in this matter ? and a little ill breedeth 

much good ; 
My thoughts, are they not mine own 1 and they leave no 

mark behind them ; 
And if God so pardoneth crime, how should these petty sins 

affect him 1 — 



SERIES I.J OF TRIFLES. 91 

So he transgresseth yet again, and falleth by little and little, 
Till the ground crumble beneath him, and he sinketh in the 

gulf despairing. 
For there is nothing in the earth so small that it may not 

produce great things, 
And no swerving from a right line, that may not lead eter- 
nally astray. 
A landmark tree was once a seed ; and the dust in the balance 

maketh a difference ; 
And the cairn is heaped high by each one flinging a pebble ; 
The dangerous bar in the harbor's mouth is only grains of 

sand ; 
And the shoal that hath wrecked a navy is the work of a 

colony of worms : 
Yea, and a despicable gnat may madden the mighty elephant ; 
And the living rock is worn by the diligent flow of the brook- 
Little art thou, O man, and in trifles thou contendest with 

thine equals. 
For atoms must crowd upon atoms, ere crime groweth to be a 

giant. 
What, is thy servant a dog 1 — not yet wilt thou grasp the 

dagger, 
Not yet wilt thou laugh with the scoffers, not yet betray the 

innocent ; 
But if thou nourish in thy heart the reveries of injury or 

passion. 
And travel in mental heat the mazy labyrinths of guilt, 
And then conceive it possible, and then reflect on it as done, 
And use, by little and little, thyself to regard thyself a villain. 
Not long will crime be absent from the voice that doth invoke 

him to thy heart, 
And bitterly wilt thou grieve, that the buds have ripened into 

poison. 

A spark is a molecule of matter, yet may it kindle the world ; 
Vast is the mighty ocean, but drops have made it vast. 



92 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Despise not thou a small thing either for evil or for good ; 
For a look may work thy ruin or a word create thy wealth : 
The walking this way or that, the casual stopping or hasten- 
ing, 
Hath saved life, and destro^^ed it, hath cast down and built 

up fortunes. 
Commit thy trifles unto God, for to him is nothing trivial ; 
And it is but the littles of man that seeth no greatness in a 

trifle. 
All things are infinite in parts, and the moral is as the ma- 
terial, 
Neither is anything vast, but it is compacted of atoms. 
Thou art wise, and shalt find comfort, if thou study thy 

pleasure in trifles, 
For slender joys, often repeated, fall as sunshine on the heart ; 
Thou art wise, if thou beat off petty troubles, nor suffer their 

stinging to fret thee ; 
Thrust not thine hand among the thorns, but with a leathern 

glove. 
Regard nothing lightly which the wisdom of Providence hath 

ordered ; 
And therefore consider all things that happen unto thee or 

unto others. 
The warrior that stood against a host, may be pierced unto 

death by a needle ; 
And the saint that feareth not the fire, may perish the 

victim of a thought : 
A mote in the gunner's eye is a3 bad as a spike in the gun ; 
And the cable of a furlong is lost through an ill-wrought 

inch. 
The streams of small pleasures fill the lake of happiness: 
And the deepest wretchedness of life is continuance of petty 

pains. 
A fool observeth nothing, and seemeth wise unto himself; 
A wise man heedeth all things, and in his own eyes is a 

fool: 



SERIES I.] 



OF RECREATION. 



93 



He that wondereth at nothing hath no capabilities of bliss ; 

But he that scrutinizeth trifles hath a store of pleasure to 
his hand. 

If pestilence stalk through the land, ye say, This is God's 
doing ; 

Is it not also His doing, when an aphis creepeth on a rose- 
bud ?— 

If an avalanche roll from its Alp, ye tremble at the will of 
Providence ; 

Is not that will concerned when the sear leaves fall from the 
poplar 1 — 

A thing is great or little only to a mortal's thinking. 

But abstracted from the body, all things are alike impor- 
tant : 

The Ancient of Days noteth in his book the idle converse of 
a creature, 

And happy and wise is the man to whose thought existeth 
not a trifle. 



OF RECREATION. 



To join advantage to amusement, to gather profit with plea- 
sure, 
Is the wise man's necessary aim, when he lieth in the shade 

of recreation. 
For he cannot fling aside his mind, nor bar up the floodgates 

of his wisdom ; 
Yea, though he strain after folly, his mental monitor shall 

check him : 
For knowledge and ignorance alike have laws essential to 

their being, — 
The sage studieth amusements, and the simple laugheth in 

his studies. 
Few, but full of understanding, are the books of the library 

of God, 



94 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



And fitting for all seasons are the gain and the gladness they 
bestow : 

The volume of mystery and Grace, for the hour of deep com- 
munings, 

When the soul considereth intensely the startling marvel of 
itself: 

The book of destiny and Providence for the time of sober study, 

When the mind gleaneth wisdom from the olive grove of 
history : 

And the cheerful pages of Nature, to gladden the pleasant 
holiday, 

When the task of duty is complete, and the heart sweUeth 
high with satisfaction. 

The soul may not safely dwell too long with the deep things 
of futurity ; 

The mind may not always be bent back, like the Parthian, 
straining at the past : (^^) 

And, if thou art wearied with wrestling on the broad arena 
of science, 

Leave awhile thy friendly foe, half vanquished in the dust, 

Refresh ihy jaded limbs, return with vigor to the strife, — 

Thou shalt easier find thyself his master, for the vacant in- 
terval of leisure. 



That which may profit and amuse is gathered from the vo- 
lume of creation. 

For every chapter therein teemeth with the playfulness of 
wisdom. 

The elements of all things are the same, though nature hath 
mixed them with a difference, 

And Learning delighteth to discover the affinity of seeming 
opposites : 

So out of great things and small draweth he the secrets of 
the universe, 

And argueth the cycles of the stars, from a pebble flung by a 
child. 



SERIES I.] OF RECREATION. 95 

[t is pleasant to note all plants, from the rush to the spread- 
ing cedar, 
From the giant king of palms, (i^) to the lichen that staineth 

its stem : 
To watch the workings of instinct, that grosser reason of 

brutes, — 
The river-horse browsing in the jungle, the plover screaming 

on the moor. 
The cayman, basking on a mud-bank, and the walrus anchored 

to an iceberg. 
The dog at his master's feet, a^nd the milch-kine lowing in the 

meadow ; 
To trace the consummate skill that hath modelled the anato- 
my of insects, 
Small fowls that sun their wings on the petals of wild 

flowers ; 
To learn a use in the beetle, and more than a beauty in the 

butterfly ; 
To recognise affections in a moth, and look with admiration 

on a spider. 
It is gloriou;j to gaze upon the firmament, and see from far 

the mansions of the blest, 
Each distant shining world, a kingdom for one of the redeemed; 
To read the antique history of earth, stamped upon those 

medals in the rocks, 
Which Design hath rescued from decay, to tell of the green 

infancy of time ; 
To gather from the unconsidered shingle mottled starlike 

agates, 
Full of unstoried flowers in the bubbling bloom-chalcedony ; 
Or gay and curious shells, fretted with microscopic carving. 
Corallines, and fresh seaweeds, spreading forth their delicate 

branches. 
It is an admirable lore, to learn the cause in the change, 
To study the chemistry of Nature, her grand, but simple 

secrets. 



96 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

To search out all her wonders, to track the resources of her 
skill, 

To note her kind compensations, her unobtrusive excellence. 

In all it is wise happiness to see the well-ordained laws of 
Jehovah, 

The harmony that filleth all his mind, the justice that tem- 
pereth his bounty, 

The wonderful all-prevalent analogy that testifieth one 
Creator, 

The broad arrow of the Great King, carved on all the stores 
of his arsenal. 

But beware, O worshipper of God, thou forget not him in 
his dealings. 

Though the bright emanations of his power hide him in cre- 
ated glory ; 

For if, on the sea of knowledge, thou regardest not the pole- 
star of religion, 

Thy bark will miss her port, and run upon the sand-bar of 
folly : 

And if, enamored of the means, thou considerest not the 
scope to which they tend, 

Wherein art thou wiser than the child, that is pleased with 
toys and baubles 1 

Verily, a trifling scholar, thou heedest but the letter of in- 
struction : 

For as motive is spirit unto action, as memory endeareth place, 

As the sun doth fertilize the earth, as affection quickeneth 
the heart. 

So is the remembrance of God in the varied wonders of 
creation, 

Man hath found out inventions, to cheat him of the weari- 
ness of life. 

To help him forget realities, and hide the misery of guilt. 

For love of praise, and hope of gain, for passion and delusive 
happiness, 



SERIES I.J 



OF RECREATION. 



97 



He joineth the circle of folly, and heapeth on the fire of ex- 
citement ; 

Oftentimes sadly out of heart at the tiresome insipidity of 
pleasure, 

Oftentimes laboring in vain, convinced of the palpable deceit : 

Yet a man speaketh to his brother, in the voice of glad con- 
gratulation, 

And thinketh others happy, though he himself be wretched : 

And hand joineth hand to help in the toil of amusement, 

While the secret aching heart is vacant of all but disappoint- 
ment. 

The cheapest pleasures are the best ; and nothing is more 
costly than sin ; 

Yet we mortgage futurity, counting it but little loss : 

Neither can a man delight in that which breedeth sorrow, 

Yet do we hunt for joy even in the fires that consume it. 

Whoso would find gladness may meet her in the hovel of 
poverty, 

Where benevolence hath scattered around the gleanings of 
the horn of plenty ; 

Whoso would sun himself in peace, may be seen of her in 
deeds of mercy, 

When the pale lean cheek of the destitute is wet with grate- 
ful tears, 

If the mind is wearied by study, or the body worn with sick- 
ness, 

It is well to lie fallow for awhile, in the vacancy of sheer 
amusement ; 

But when thou prosperest in health, and thine intellect can 
soar untired. 

To seek uninstructive pleasure is to slumber on the couch of 
indolence. 



98 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



THE TRAIN OF RELIGION. 

Stay awhile, thou blessed band, be entreated, daughters of 

heaven ! 
While the chance-met scholar of Wisdom leameth your 

sacred names : 
He is resting a little from his toil, yet a little on the borders 

of earth. 
And fain would he have you his friends, to bid him glad 

welcome hereafter. 
Who among the glorious art thou, that walkest a Goddess 

and a Q,ueen, 
Thy crown of living stars, and a golden cross thy sceptre 1 
Who among flowers of loveliness is she, thy seeming herald, 
Yet she boasteth not thee nor herself, and her garments are 

plain in their neatness 1 
Wherefore is there one among the train, whose eyes are red 

with weeping, 
Yet is her open forehead beaming with the sun of ecstasy ? 
And who is that blood-stained warrior, with glory sitting on 

his crest 1 
And who, that solemn sage, calm in majestic dignity 1 
Also, in the lengthening troop see I some clad in robes of 

triumph. 
Whose fair and sunny faces I have known and loved on 

earth : 
Welcome, ye glorified Loves, Graces, and Sciences, and 

Muses, 
That, like sisters of charity, tended in this world's hospital ; 
Welcome, for verily I knew, ye could not but be children of 

the light, 
Though earth hath soiled your robes, and robbed you of half 

your glory ; 



SERIES I.J THE TRAIN OF RELIGION. 



99 



Welcome, chiefly welcome, for I find I have friends in 
heaven, 

And some I might scarce have looked for, as thou, light- 
hearted Mirth ; 

Thou also, star-robed Urania ; and thou, with the curious glass. 

That rejoicedst in tracking wisdom where the eye was too 
dull to note it : 

And art thou, too, among the blessed, mild, much-injured 
Poetry 1 

Who quickenest with light and beauty the leaden face of 
matter, 

Who not unheard, though silent, fiUest earth's gardens with 
music, 

And not unseen, though a spirit, dost look down upon us 
from the stars, — 

That hast been to me for oil and for wine, to cheer and up- 
hold my soul. 

When wearied, battling with the surge, the stunning surge 
of life: 

Of thee, for well have I loved thee, of thee may I ask in hope. 

Who among the glorious is she, that walketh a Goddess and 
a Clueen 1 

And who that fair-haired herald, and who that weeping 
saint 1 

And who that mighty warrior, and who that solemn sage 1 



Son, happy art thou that Wisdom hath led thee hitherward : 
For otherwise never hadst thou known the joy-giving name 

of our Queen ; 
Behold her, the life of men, the anchor of their shipwrecked 

hopes : 
Behold her, the shepherdess of souls, who bringeth back the 

wanderers to God. 
And for that modest herald, she is named on earth. Humility : 
And hast thou not known, my son, the tearful face of Re- 
pentance 1 



100 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Faith is yon time-scarred hero, walking in the shade of his 
laurels ; 

And Reason, the serious sage, who followeth the footsteps 
of Faith; 

And we, all we, are but handmaids, ministers of minor bliss, 

Who rejoice to be counted servants in the train of a Q,ueen 
so glorious. 

But for her n:-me, son of man, it is strange to the language 
of heaven. 

For those who have never fallen need not and may not 
learn it : 

Ligeance we sware to our God, and ligeance well have we 
kept ; 

It is only the band of the redeemed who can tell thee the ful- 
ness of that name : (^^) 

Yet will I comfort thee, my son, for the love wherewith thou 
hast loved me, 

And thou shalt touch for thyself the golden sceptre of Reli- 
gion. 

So that blessed train passed by me ; but the vision was 

sealed upon my soul ; 
And its memory is shrined in fragrance, for the promise of 

the Spirit was true : 
I learn from the silent poem of all creation round me, 
How beautiful their feet, who follow in that train. 



OF A TRINITY. ('9) 



Despise not, shrewd reckoner, the God of a good man's 

worship. 
Neither let thy calculating folly gainsay the unity of three ; 
Nor scorn another's creed, although he cannot solve thy 

doubts ; 



SERIES T.J 



OF A TRINITY, 



101 



Reason is the follower of faith, where he may not be pre- 
cursor : 

It is written, and so we believe, waiting not for outward 
proof. 

Inasmuch as mysteries inscrutable are the clear prerogatives 
of Godhead. 

Reason hath nothing positive faith hath nothing doubtful ; 

And the height of unbelieving wisdom is to question all 
things. 

When there is marvel in a doctrine, faith is joyful and 
adoreth ; 

But when all is clear, what place is left for faith 1 

Tell me the sum of thy knowledge, — is it yet assured of any- 
thing 1 

Despise noi what is wonderful, when all things are wonder- 
ful around thee 

From the multitude of like effects, thou sayest, behold a law : 

And the matter thou art baffled in unmaking, is to thy mind 
an element. 

Then look abroad I pray thee, for analogy holdeth every- 
where, 

And the Maimer hath stamped his name on every creature of 
his hand : 

I know not of a matter or a spirit, that is not three in one, 

And truly should account it for a marvel, a coin without the 
image of its Caesar. 



Man talketh of himself as ignorant, but judgeth by himself 

as wise : 
His own guess counteth he truth, but the notions of another 

are his scorn ; 
But bear thou yet with a brother, whose thought may be 

less subtle than thine own, 
And suffer the passing speculation suggested by analogies to 

faith. 
Like begetteth like, and the great sea of Existence 
9* 



102 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



In each of its uncounted waves holdeth up a mirror to its 

Maker : 
Like begetteth like, and the spreading tree of being 
With each of its trefoil leaves pointcth at the trinity of God. 
Let him whose eyes have been unliimed, read this homily in 

all things, 
And thou, of duller sight, despise not him that re'ideth : 
There be three grand principles ; life, generation, and obedi- 
ence ; 
Shadowing in every creature, the Spirit, and the Father, and 

the Son. 
There be three grand unities, variously mixed in trinities, 
Three catholic divisors of the million sums of matter: 
Yea, though science hath not seen it, climbing the ladder of 

experiment. 
Let faith, in the presence of her God, promulgate the mighty 

ti-uth. 
Of three sole elements all nature's works consist : 
The pine, and the rock to which it clingeth, and the eagle 

sailing round it ; 
The lion, and the northern whale, and the deeps wherein he 

sporteth ; 
The lizard sleeping in the sun ; the lightning flashing from a 

cloud ; 
The rose, and the ruby, and the pearl ; each one is made of 

three ; 
And the three bo the like ingredients, mingled in diverse 

measures. 
Thyself hast within thyself body, and life, and mind : 
Matter, and breath, and instinct, unite in all the beasis of the 

field; 
Substance, coherence, and weight, fashion the fabrics of the 

earth ; 
The will, the doing, a.nd the deed, combine to frame a fact : 
The siem, the leaf, and the flower ; beginning, middle, and 

end ; 



SERIES I.J 



OF A TRINITY. 



103 



Cause, circumstance, consequent ; and every three is one. 
Yea, the very breath of man's life consisteth of a trinity of 

vapors, 
And the noonday light is a compound, the triune shadow of 

Jehovah, (ao) 



Shall all things else be in mystery, and God alone be under- 
stood ? 
Shall finite fathom infinity, though it sound not the shallows 

of creation 1 
Shall a man comprehend his Maker, being yet a riddle to 

himself 1 
Or time teach the lesson that eternity cannot master 1 
If God be nothing more than one, a child can compass the 

thought ; 
But seraphs fail to unravel the wondrous unity of three. 
One verily He is, for there can be but one who is all mighty ; 
Yet the oracles of nature and religion proclaim Him three iu 

one. 
And where were the value to thy soul, O miserable denizen 

of earth, 
Of the idle pageant of the cross, where hung no sacrifi(^ for 

theel 
Where the worth to thine impotent heart, of that stirred 

Belliesda, 
All numbed and palsied as it is, by the scorpion stings of sin 1 
No, thy trinity of nature, enchained by treble death, 
Helplessly craveth of its God, himself for three salvations : 
The soul to be reconciled in love, the mind to be glorified in 

light, 
While this poor dying body leapeth into life. 
And if indeed for us all the costly ransom hath been paid. 
Bethink thee, could less than Deity have owned so vast a 

treasure ? 
Could a man contend with God, and stand against the bosses 

of his buckler. 



104 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Rendering the balance for guilt, atonement to the uttermost 1 

Thou art subtle to thine own thinking, but wisdom judgeth 
thee a fool, 

Resolving thou wilt not bow the knee to a Being thou canst 
not comprehend : 

The mind that could compass perfection were itself perfec- 
tion's equal ; 

And reason refuseth its homage to a God who can be fully 
understood. 



Thou that despisest mystery, yet canst expound nothing, 
Wherefore rejectest thou the fact that solveth the enigma of 

all things ? 
Wherefore veilest thou thine eyes, lest the light of rev^elation 

sun them. 
And puttest aside the key that would open the casket of truth 1 
The mind and the nature of God is shadowed in all his works, 
And none could have guessed of his essence, had He not 

uttered it himself; 
Therefore, thou child of folly, that scornest the record of his 

wisdom, 
Learn from the consistencies of nature the needful miracle 

• of Godhead : 
Yea, let the heathen be thy teacher, who adoreth many gods, 
For there is no wide-spread error that hath not truth for its 

beginning. 
Be content ; thine eye cannot see all the sides of a cube at 

one view, 
Nor thy mind in the self-same moment follow two ideas t 
There are now many marvels in thy creed, believing what 

thou seest, 
Then let not the conceit of intellect hinder thee from wor- 
shipping mystery. 



SERIES I.J OF THINKING. 105 



OF THINKING. 

Reflection is a flower of the mind, giving out wholesome 

fragrance, 
But reverie is the same flower, when rank and running to seed. 
Better to read little with thought, than much with levity and 

quickness ; 
For mind is not as merchandise, which decreaseth in the 

using, 
But liker to the passions of man, which rejoice and expand 

in exertion : 
Yet live not wholly on thine own ideas, lest they lead thee 

astray ; 
For in spirit, as in substance, thou art a social creature ; 
And if thou leanest on thyself, thou rejectedst the guidance 

of thy betters. 
Yea, thou contemnest all men, — Am I not wiser than they 1 — 
Foolish vanity hath blinded thee, and warped thy weak 

judgment; 
For, though new ideas flow from new springs, and enrich 

the treasury of knowledge, 
Yet listen often, ere thou think much ; and look around thee 

ere thou judgest. 
Memory, the daughter of Attention, is the teeming mother 

of Wisdom, 
And safer is he that storeth knowledge, than he that would 

make it for himself. 

Imagination is not thought, neither is fancy reflection : 
Thought paceth like a hoary sage, but imagination hath 

wings as an eagle ; 
Reflection sternly considereth, nor is sparing to condemn evil. 
But fancy lightly laugheth, in the sun-clad gardens of amuse- 
ment. 






106 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



For the shy game of the fowler the quickest shot is the surest ; 
But with slow care and measured aim the gunner pointeth 

his cannon : 
So for all less occasions, the surface-thought is best, 
But to be master of the great take thou heavier metal. 
It is a good thing, and a wholesome, to search out bosom sins, 
But to be the hero of selfish imaginings, is the subtle poison 

of pride : 
At night, in the stillness of thy chamber, guard and curb thy 

thoughts, 
And in recounting the doings of the day, beware that thou 

do it with prayer, 
Or thinking will be an idle pleasure, and retrospect yield no 

fruit. 
Steer the bark of thy mind from the syren isle of reverie. 
And let a watchful spirit mingle with the glance of recollec- 
tion: 
Also, in examining thine heart, in sounding the fountain 

of thine actions, 
Be more careful of the evil than of the good ; and humble 

thyself in thy sin. 



The root of all wholesome thought is knowledge of thyself. 
For thus only canst thou learn the character of God toward 

thee. 
He made thee, and thou art ; he redeemed thee, and thou 

wilt be : 
Thou art evil, yet he loveth thee ; thou sinnest, yet he par- 

doneth thee. 
Though thou canst not perceive him, yet is he in all his 

works. 
Infinite in grand outline, infinite in minute perfection : 
Nature is the chart of God, mapping out all his attributes ; 
Art is the shadow of his wisdom, and copieth his resources. 
Thou knowest the laws of matter to be emanations of his 

will, 



SERIES I.J 



OF THINKING. 



107 



And thy best reason for aught is this, — thou, Lord, wouldst 

have it so. 
Yea, what is any law but an absolute decree of God 1 
Or the properties of matter and mind, but the arbitrary fiats 

of Jehovah ? 
He made and ordained necessity ; he forged the chain of 

reason ; 
And holdeth in his own right hand the first of the golden 

links. 
A fool regardeth mind as the spiritual essence of matter, 
And not rather matter as the gross accident of mind. 
Can finite govern infinite, or a part exceed the whole, 
Or the wisdom of God sit down at the feet of innate necessity 1 
Necessity is a creature of his hand : for He can never change ; 
And chance hath no existence where everything is needful. 

Canst thou measure Omnipotence, canst thou conceive 
Ubiquity, 

Which guideth the meanest reptile, and quickeneth the 
brightest seraph, 

Which steereth the particles of dust, and commandeth the 
path of the comet 1 

To him all things are equal, for all things are necessary. 

The smith is weary at his forge, and weldeth the metal care- 
lessly, 

And the anchor breaketh in its bed ; and the vessel founder- 
eth with her crew : 

A word of anger is muttered, engendering the midnight mur- 
der: 

The sun bursteth from a cloud, and maddeneth the toiling 
husbandman. 

Shall these things be, and God not know it ? 

Shall he know, and not be in them ? shall he see, and not be 
among them 1 

And how can they be otherwise than as he knoweth ? 

Truly, the Lord is in all things ; verily, he worketh in all. 



, 



108 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Think thus, and thy thoughts are firm, ascribing each cir- 
cumstance to Him ; 

Yet know surely, and believe the truth, that God willeth not 
evil: 

For adversities are blessings in disguise, and wickedness the 
Lord abhorreth ; 

That He is in all things is an axiom, and that he is righteous 
in all : 

Ascribe holiness to Him, while thou muscJst on the mystery 
of sin, 

For infinite can grasp that which finite cannot compass. 

In works of art, think justly : what praise canst thou render 
unto man 1 

For he made not his own mind, nor is he the source of con- 
trivance. 

If a cunning workman make an engine that fashioneth 
curious works, 

Which hath the praise, the machine or its maker — the 
engine, or he that framed it 1 

And could he frame it so subtly as to give it a will and free- 
dom, 

Endow it with complicated powers, and a glorious living soul, 

Who, while he admireth the wondrous understanding crea- 
ture, 

Will not pay deeper homage to the Maker of master minds 1 

Otherwise, thou art senseless as the pagan, that adoreth his 
own handiwork : 

Yea, while thou boastest of thy wisdom, thy mind is as the 
mind of the savage. 

For he boweth down to his idols, and thou art a worshipper 
of self, . 

Giving to the reasoning machine the credit due to its creator. 



The keystone of thy mind, to give thy thoughts solidity. 
To bind them as in an arch, to fix them as a world in its sphere, 



SERIES I.J 



OF THINKING. 



109 



Is to learn from the book of the Lord, to drink from the well 

of his wisdom. 
Who can condense the sun, or analyse the fulness of the 

Bible, 
So that its ideas be gathered, and the harvest of its wisdom 

be brought in 1 
That book is easy to the man who setteth his heart to under- 
stand it. 
But to the careless and profane it shall seem the foolishness 

of God; 
And it is a delicate test to prove thy moral state ; 
To the humble disciple it is bread, but a stone to the proud 

and unbelieving : 
A scorner shall find nothing but the husks, wherewith to 

feed his hunger, 
But for the soul of the simple, it is plenty of full-ripe wheat. 
The Scripture al)ideth tl;e same in the sober majesty of truth ; 
And the differing aspects of its teaching proceed from diver- 
sity in minds. 
He that would learn to think may gain that knowledge there ; 
For the living word, as on angel, standeth at the gate of wis- 
dom, 
And publisheth, This is the way, walk ye surely in it. 
Religion taketh by the hand the humble pupil of repentance. 
And teacheth him lessons of mystery, solving the questions 

of doubt ; 
She maketh man worthy of himself, of his high prerogative 

of reason, 
Threadeth all the labyrinths of thought, and leadeth him to 
his God. 



Come hither, child of meditation, upon whose high fair fore- 
head 
Glittereth the star of mind in its unearthly lustre, 
Hast thou naught to tell us of thine airy joys, — 

When borne on sinewy pinions, strong as the western condor, 

10 



110 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



The soul, after scaring for a while round the cloud-capped 

Andes of reflection, 
Glad in its conscious immortality, leaveth a world behind, 
To dare at one bold flight the broad Atlantic to another 1 
Hast thou no secret pangs to whisper common men, 
No dread of thine own energies, still active, day and night, 
Lest too ecstatic heat sublime thyself away, 
Or vivid horrors, sharp and clear, madden thy tense fibres 1 
In half-shaped visions of oleep hast thou not feared thy flit- 
tings, 
Lest reason, like a raking hawk, return not to thy call ; 
Nor Wciked to work-day life with throbbing head and heart, 
Nor welcomed early dawn to save thee from unrest 1 
For the wearied spirit lieth a,s a fainting maiden, 
Criptive and borne a wa^?- on the warrior's foam.-covered steed, 
And sinketh down wounded, as a gladiator on the sand, 
While the keen filchion of Intellec* is cutting through the 

scabbard of the brain. 
Imagina^tion, like a shadowy giant looming on the twilight 

of the Hnrtz, 
Shall overwhelm Judgment Vv^ith affright, and scare him from 

his throne : 
In a dream thou mayst be mad, and feel the fire within thee ; 
In a dream thou mayst travel out of self, and see thee with 

the eyes of another ; 
Or sleep in thine own corpse ; or wake as in many bodies : 
Or swell, as expanded to infinity ; or shrink, as imprisoned to 

a point ; 
Or among moss-grown ruins may wander with the sullen 

disembodied. 
And gaze upon their glassy eyes until thy heart-blood freeze. 



Alone must thou stand, O man ! alone at the bar of judg- 
ment ; 

Alone mu>t thou bear thy sentence, alone muct thou answer 
fer thy deeds : 



SERIES I.] 



OF THINKING. 



Ill 



Therefore it is well thou retirest often to secresy and soli- 
tude, 

To feel that thou art accountable separately from thy fellows : 

For a crowd hideth truth from the eyes, society drowneth 
thought, 

And, being but one among many, stifleth the chidings of 
conscience. 

Solitude bringeth woe to the wicked, for his crimes are told 
out in his ear ; 

But addeth peace to the good, for the mercies of his God are 
numbered. 

Thou mayst know if it be well with a man, — loveth he gaiety 
or solitude 1 

For the troubled river rusheth to the sea, but the calm lake 
slumbereth among the mountains. 

How dear to the mind of the sage are the thoughts that are 
bred in loneliness. 

For there is as it were music at his heart, and he talketh 
within him as with friends : 

But guilt middeneth the brain, and terror glareth in the eye, 

Where, in his solitary cell, the malefactor wrestieth with 
remorse. 

Give me but a lodge in the wilderness, drop me on an island 
in the desert, 

And thought shall yield me happiness, though I may not in- 
crease it by imparting : 

For the soul never slumbereth, Ijut is as the eye of the Eter- 
nal, 

And mind, the breath of God, knoweth not ideal vacuity : 

At night, after weariness and watching, the body siuketh 
into sleep. 

But the mental eye is awake, and thou reasonest in thy 
dreams : 

In a dream thou mayest live a life-time, and all be forgotten 
in the morning : 

Even such is life, and so soon perisheth its memory. 



112 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series I. 



OF SPEAKING. 

Speech is the golden harvest that followeth the flowering 

of thought ; 
Yet oftentimes runneth it to husk, and the grains be withered 

and scanty ; 
Speech is reason's brother, and a kingly prerogative of man, 
That likeneth him to his Maker, who spake, and it was done : 
Spirit may mingle with spirit, but sense requireth a symbol ; 
And speech is the body of a thought, without which it were 

not seen. 
When thou walkest, musing with thyself, in the green aisles 

of the forest, 
Utter thy thinkings aloud, that they take a shape and being ; 
For he that pondereth in silence crowdeth the storehouse of 

his mind, 
And though he hath heaped great riches, yet is he hindered 

in the using. 
A man that speaketh too little, and thinketh much and 

deeply, 
Corrodeth his own heart-strings, and keepeth back good from 

his fellows : 
A man that speaketh too much, and museth but little and 

lightly, 
Wasteth his mind in words, and is counted a fool among 

men ; 
But thou, when thou hast thought, weave charily the web of 

meditation, 
And clothe the ideal spirit in the suitable garments of speech. 

Uttered out of time, or concealed in its season, good savor- 
eth of evil; 

To be secret looketh like guilt, to speak out may breed con- 
tention : 



SERIES I.] OF SPEAKING. 113 

Often have I known the honest heart, flaming with indignant 

virtue, 
Provoke unneeded war by its rash ambassador the tongue : 
Often have I seen the charitable man go so slili^ on his mis- 
sion, 
That those who met him in the twilight, took him for a 

skulking thief: 
I have heard the zealous youth telling out his holy secrets 
Before a swinish throng, who mocked him as he spake ; 
And I considered, his openness was hardening them that 

mocked. 
Whereas, a judicious keeping-back m5ght have won their 

sympathy ; 
I have judged rashly and hardly the hand liberal in the dark, 
Because in the broad daylight it hath holden it a virtue to be 

close ; 
And the silent tongue have I condemned, because reserve 

hath chained it. 
That it hi<l, yea from a brother, the kindness it had done by 

comforting. 
No need to sound a trumpet, but less to hush a footfall : 
Do thou thy good openly, not as though the doing were a 

crime. 
Secresy goeth cowled, and Honesty demandeth wherefore ? 
For he judgeth, — judgeth he not well 1 — that nothing need be 

hid but guilt ; 
Why should thy good be evil spoken of through thine un- 
righteous silence ; 
If thou art challenged, sperik, and prove the good thou doest. 
The free example of benevolence, unobtruded, yet unhidden, 
Soundeth in the ears of sloth, Go, and do thou likewise : 
And 1 wot the hypocrite's sin to be of darker dye. 
Because the good man, fearing, thereby hideth his light: 
But neither God nor man hath bid thee cloak thy good, 
When a seasonable word would set thee in thy sphere, that 
all might see thy brightness, 
10* 



114 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Ascribe the honor to thy Lord, but be thou jealous of that 
honor, 

Nor think it light and worthless, because thon mayst not wear 
it for thyself: 

Remember thy grand prerogative is free unshackled utter- 
ance, 

And suffer not the floodgates of secresy to lock the full river 
of thy speech. 



Come, I will show thee an afliiction, unnumbered among this 
world's sorrows. 

Yet real and wearisome and constant, embittering the cup of 
life. 

There be, who can think within themselves, and the fire 
burneth at their heart. 

And eloquence waiteth at their lips, yet they speak not with 
their tongue ; 

There be, whom ze:tl quickeneth, or slander stirreth to reply. 

Or need constraineth to ask, or pity sendeth as her messen- 
gers, 

But nervous dread and sensitive shame freeze the current of 
their speech ; 

The mouth is sealed as with lead, a cold weight presseth on 
the heart, 

The mocking promise of power is once more broken in per- 
formance. 

And they stand impotent of words, travailing with unborn 
thoughts : 

Courage is cowed at the portal : wisdom is widowed of utter- 
ance ; 

He that went to comfort is pitied ; he that should rebuke, is 
silent. 

And fools who might listen and learn, stand by to look and 
laugh ; 

While friends, with kinder eyes, wound deeper by compas- 
sion, 



SERIES I.J 



OF SPEAKING. 



115 



And thought, finding not a vent, smouldereth, gnawing at the 
heart, 

And the man sinketh in his sphere, for lack of empty sounds. 

There be many cares and sorrows thou hast not yet const 
dered, 

A»d well may thy soul rejoice in the fair privilege of speech ; 

For at every turn to want a word, — thou canst not guess that 
want ; 

It is as lack of breath or bread : life hath no grief more gall- 
ing. 



Come, I will tell thee of a joy, which the parasites of plea- 
sure have not known. 

Though earth and air and sea have gorged all the appetites 
of sense. 

Behold, what fire is in his eye, what fervor on his cheek 1 

That glorious burst of winged words ! — how bound they from 
his tongue ! 

The full expression of the mighty thought, the strong tri- 
umphant argument, 

The rush of native eloquence, resistless as Niagara, 

The keen demand, the clear reply, the fine poetic image. 

The nice analogy, the clenching fact, the metaphor bold and 
free. 

The grasp of concentrated intellect wielding the omnipotence 
of truth. 

The grandeur of his speech, in his majesty of mind ! 

Champion of the right, — patriot, or priest, or pleader of the 
innocent cause. 

Upon whose lips the mystic bee hath dropped the honey of 
persuasion, (21) 

Whose heart and tongue have been touched, as of old, by 
the live coal from the altar, 

How wide the spreading of thy peace, how deep the draught 
of thy pleasures ! 

To hold the multitude as one, breathing in measured cadence. 



116 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



A thousand men with flashing e^-es, waiting upon thy will ; 
A thousand hearts kindled by thee with consecrated fire, 
Ten fluming spiritual hecatombs offered on the mount of 

God : 
And now a pause, a thrilling pause, — they live but in thy 

words, — 
Thou hast broken the bounds of self, as the Nile at its rising. 
Thou art expanded into them, one faith, one hope, one sph'it, 
They bre:vthe but in thy breath, their minds are passive unto 

thine. 
Thou turnest the key of their love, bending their affections to 

thy purpose. 
And all, in sympathy with thee, tremble with tumultuous 

emotions. 
Verily, O man, with truth for thy theme, eloquence shall 

throne thee with archangels. 

OF READING. 



One drachma for a good book, and a thousand talents for a 
true friend : — 

So standelii the market where scarce is ever costly : 

Yea, were the diamonds of Golconda common as shingles on 
the shore, 

A ripe apple would ransom kiiigs before a shining stone : 

And so, were a wholesome book as rare as an honest friend, 

To choose the book be mine : the friend let another t ike. 

For altered looks and jealoa^ies and foars have none entrance 
there : 

The silent volume listeneth well, and speaketh when thou 
listest : 

It praiseth thy good without envy, it chideth thine evil with- 
out malice, 

It is to thee thy waiting slave, and thine unbending teacher. 

Need to humor no caprice, need to bear with no infirmity, 



SERIES I.] 



OF READING. 



117 



Thy sin, thy slander, or neglect, chilleth not, quenchetli not, 

its love ; 
Unalterably speaketh it the truth, warped nor by error nor 

interest ; 
For a good book is the best of friends, the same to-day and 

for ever. 

To draw thee out of self, thy petty plans and cautions, 

To teach thee what thou lackest, to tell thee how largely thou 
art blest, 

To lure thy thought from sorrow, to feed thy famished mind, 

To graft another's wisdom on thee, pruning thine own folly, 

Choose discreetly, and well digest the volume most suited to 
thy case. 

Touching not religion with levity, nor deep things when thou 
art wearied. 

Thy mind is freshened by morning air, grapple with science 
and philosophy ; 

Noon hath unnerved thy thoughts, dream for awhile on 
fictions ; 

Grey evening sobereth thy spirit, walk thou then with wor- 
shippers ; 

But reason shall dig deepest in the nightand fancy fly most free. 

O BOOKS, ye monuments of mind, concrete wisdom of the 

wisest ; 
Sweet solaces of daily life ; proofs and results of immortality ; 
Trees yielding all fruits, whose leaves are for the healing of 

the nations ; 
Groves of knowledge, where all may eat, nor fear a flaming 

sword ; 
Gentle comrades, kind advisers ; friends, comforts, treasures : 
Helps, governments, diversities of tongues ; who can weigh 

your worth 7 — 
To walk no longer with the just ; to be driven from the porch 

of science ; 



118 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



To bid a long adieu to those intimate ones, poets, philoso- 
phers, and teachers ; 

To see no record of the sympathies which bind thee in com- 
munion with the good ; 

To be thrust from the feet of Him, who spake as never man 
spake ; 

To have no avenue to heaven but the dim aisle of superstition ; 

To live as an Esquimaux, in letjjiargy ; to die as the Mohawk, 
in ignor snce : 

O what were life, but a blank 1 what were death but a terror 1 

What were mnn, but a burden to himself? what were mind, 
but misery 1 

Yea, let another Omar burn the full library of knowledge, (22) 

And the bro-.d world miy perish in the flames, offered on the 
ashes of its wisdom ! 



OF WRITING. 



The pen of a ready writer, whereimto shall it be likened ? 
Ask of the scholar, he shall know, — to the chains that bind 

a Proteus : 
Ask of the poet, he shall say, — to the sun, the lamp of 

heaven ; 
Ask of thy neighbor, he can answer, — to the friend that tell- 

eth my thought: 
The merchant considereth it well, as a ship freighted with 

w.ires ; 
The divine holdeth it a miracle, giving utterance to the dumb. 
It fixeth, expcundeth, and disseminateth sentiment ; 
Chaining up a thought, clearing it of mystery, and sending it 

bright into the world. 
To think rightly, is of knowledge ; to speak fluently, is of 

nature ; 
To read with profit, is of care ; but to write aptly, is of prac- 
tice. 



SERIES I.J 



OF WRITING. 



119 



No talent among men hath more scholars and fewer masters : 
For to write is to speak beyond hearing, and none stand by 

to explain. 
To be accurate, write ; to remember, write ; to know thine 

own mind, write : 
And a written prayer is a prayer of faith ; special, sure, and 

to be answered. 
Hast thou a thought upon thy brain, catch it while thou 

canst ; 
Or other thoughts shall settle there, and this shall soon take 

wing: 
Thine uncompounded unity of soul, which argue th and ma- 

keth it immortal, 
Yieldeth up its momsntary self to every single thought ; 
Therefore, to husband thine ideas, and give them stability 

and substance. 
Write often for thy secret eye : so shalt thou grow wiser. 
The commonest mind is full of thoughts ; some worthy of the 

rarest ; 
And could it see them fairly writ, would wonder at its 

wealth. 
O precious compensation to the dumb, to write his wants 

and wishes : 
O dear amends to the stammering tongue, to pen his burning 

thoughts ! 
To be of the college of Eloquence, through these silent sym- 
bols ; 
To pour out all the flowing mind without the toil of speech ; 
To show the babbling world how it might discourse more 

sweetly , 
To prove that merchandise of words bringeth no monopoly 

of wisdom , 
To take sweet vengeance on a prating crew, for the tongue's 

dishonor, 
By the large triumph of the pen, the homage rendered to a 

writing. 



120 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



With such, that telegraph of mind is dearer than wealth or 
wisdom, 

Enabling to please without pain, to impart without humilia- 
tion. 

Fair girl, whose eye hath caught the rustic penmanship of 

love, 
Let thy bright brow and blushing cheek confess in this sweet 

hour, — 
Let thy full heart, poor guilty one, whom the scroll of par- 
don hath just reached, — 
Thy wet glad face, O mother, with news of a far-off' child, — 
Thy strong and manly delight, pilgrim of other shores. 
When the dear voice of thy betrothed speaketh in the letter 

of affection : — 
Let the young poet exulting in his lay, and hope (how false) 

of fame, 
While watching at deep midnight, he buildeth up the 

verse, — 
Let the calm child of genius, whose name shall never die. 
For that the transcript of his mind hath made his thoughts 

immortal, — 
Let these, let all, with no faint praise, with no light gratitude, 

confess 
The blessings poured upon the earth from the pen of a ready 

writer. 



Moreover, their preciousness in absence is proved by the 

desire of their presence : 
When the despairing lover waiteth day after day, 
Looking for a word in reply, one word writ by that hand, 
And cursing bitterly the morn ushered in by blank disap- 
pointment : 
Or when the long-looked-for answer argueth a cooling friend, 
And the mind is plied suspiciously with dark inexplicable 
doubts, . . 



^ 



SERIES I.] 



OF WRITING. 



121 



While thy wounded heart counteth its imaginary scars, 
And thou art the innocent and injured, that friend the capri- 
cious and in fault : 
Or when the earnest petition, that craveth for thy needs 
Unheeded, yea, unopened, tortureth with starving delay : 
Or when the silence of a son, who would have written of his 

welfare, "^ 

Racketh a father's bosom with sharp-cutting fears, 
For a letter, timely writ, is a rivet to the chain of affection, 
And a letter, untimely delayed, is as rust to the solder. 
The pen, flowing with love, or dipped black in hate, 
Or tipped with delicate courtesies, or harshly edged with cen- 
sure, 
Hath quickened more good than the sun, more evil than the 

sword. 
More joy than woman's smile, more woe than frowning for- 
tune ; 
And shouldst thou ask my judgment of that which hath most 

profit in the world. 
For answer take thou this, The prudent penning of a letter. 



Thou hast not lost an hour, whereof there is a record ; 

A written thought at midnight shall redeem the livelong day. 

Idea is as a shadow that departeth, speech is fleeting as the 
wind, 

Reading is an unremembered pastime : but a writing is eternal : 

For therein the dead heart liveth, the clay -cold tongue is elo- 
quent, 

And the quick eye of the reader is cleared by the reed of the 
scribe. 

As a fossil in the rock, or a coin in the mortar of a ruin, 

So the symboUed thoughts tell of a departed soul : 

The plastic hand hath its witness in a statue, and exactitude 
of vision in a picture. 

And so, the mind, that was among us, in its writings is em- 
balmed. 

11 



122 



PKOVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [skries i. 



OF WEALTH. 



Prodigality hath a sister Meanness, his fixed antagonist 

heart-fellow, 
Who often out-iiveth the short career of the brother she de- 

spiseth : 
She hath lean lips and a sharp look, and her eyes are red and 

hungry ; 
But he sloucheth in his gait, and his mouth speaketh loosely 

and maudlin. 
Let a spendthrift grow to be old, he will set his heart on 

saving, 
And hibor to build up by penury that which extravagance 

threw down : 
Even so, with most men, do riches earn themselves a double 

curse ; • 

They are ill-got by tight dealing: they are ill-spent by loose 

squandering. 
Give me enough,"saith Wisdom; — for he feareth to ask for 

more ; 
And th It by the sweat of my brow, addeth stout-hearted In- 
dependence : 
Give me enough, and not less, for want is leagued with the 

tempter ; 
Poverty shiill make a m::in desperate, and hurry him ruthless 

into crime ; j- 
Give me enough, and not more, saving for the children of 

distress ; 
Wealth ofttimes killeth, where want but hindereth the bud- 
ding: 
There is green glad summer near the pole, though brief and 

after long winter, 
But the burnt breasts of the torrid zone yield never kindly 

nourishment. 



SERIES I.] 



OF WEALTH. 



123 



Wouldst thou be poor, scatter to the rich, — and reap the 

tares of ingratitude ; 
Wouldst thou be rich, give unto the poor ; — thou shalt have 

thine own with usury : 
For the secret hand of Providence prospereth the charitable 

all v/ays, 
Good luck shall he have in his pursuits, and his heart shall 

be glad within hiin ; 
Yet perchance he never shall perceive, that even as to earthly 

gain 5. 
The cau^e of his weal, as of his joy, hath been small givings 

to the poor. 

In the plain of Benares is there found a root that fathereth 
a forest, 

Where round the parent banian-tree drop its living scions ; 

Thirstily they strain to the earth, like stalactites in a grotto, 

And strike broiid roots, and branch again, lengthening their 
cool arcades : 

And the dervish madly danceth there, and the faquir is tor- 
turing his flesh, 

And the calm brahmin worshippeth the sleek and pampered 
bull ; 

At the base lean jackalls coil, while from above depending 

Yv^ith dull malignant stare watcheth the branch-like boa. 

Even so, in man's heart is a sin that is the root of all evil ; 

Whose fibres strangle the affections, whose branches over- 
grow the mind : 

And oftcnest beneath its shadow thou shalt meet distorted 
piety,— 

The clenched and rigid fist, with the eyes upturned to hea- 
ven, 

Fanatic zeal with miserly severity, a mixture of gain with 
godliness. 

And him, against whom passion hath no power, kneeling to 
a golden calf: 



124 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



The hungry hounds of extortion are there, the bond, and the 

mortgage, and the writ, 
While the appetite for gold, unslumbering, watcheth to glut 

its maw : — 
And the heart, so tenanted and shaded, is cold to all things else ; 
It seeth not the sunshine of heaven, nor is warmed by the 

light of charity. 

For covetousness disbelieveth God, and laugheth at the 

rights of men ; 
Spurring unto theft and lying, and tempting to the poison and 

the knife ; 
It sundereth the bonds of love, and quickeneth the flames of 

hate ; 
A curse that shall wither the brain, and case the heart with iron. 
Content is the true riches, for without it there is no satisfying. 
But a ravenous all-devouring hunger gnaweth the vitals of 

the soul. 
The wise mm knoweth where to stop, as he runneth in the 

race of fortune. 
For experience of old hath taught him that happiness linger- 

eth midway ; 
And many in hot pursuit have hasted to the goal of wealth, 
But have lost, as they ran, those apples of gold, — the mind 

and the power to enjoy it. 



There is no greater evil among men than a testament framed 

with injustice : 
Where c i price hath guided the boon, or dishonesty refused 

what was due. 
Generous is the robber on the highway, in the open daring of 

his guilt. 
To the secret coward, whose malice liveth and harmeth after 

him. 
Who smoothly sank into the tomb with the smile of fraud 

upon his face, 



SERIES I.J 



OF WEALTH. 



125 



And the last black deed of his existence was injury without 
redress ; 

For deaf is the ear of the dead, and can hear no palliating 
reasons , 

The smiter is not among the living, and Right pleadeth but 
in vain. 

Yet shall the curse of the oppressed be as blight upon the 
grave of the unjust ; 

Yea, bitterly shall that handwriting testify against him at 
the judgment. 

I saw the humble relation that tendeth the peevishness of 
we rlth, 

And ministered with kind hand to the v/ailings of disease and 
discontent ; 

[ noted how watchfulness and care were feeding on the 
marrow of her youth, 

How heavy was the yoke of dependence, loaded by petty 
tyranny ; 

Yet I heard the frequent suggestion, — It can be but a little 
longer, 

Patience and mute submission shall one day reap a rich re- 
ward. 

So, tacitly enduring much, waited that humble friend, 

Putting off the lover of her youth until the dawn of 
wen 1th: 

And it came, that day of release, and the freed heart could 
not sorrow. 

For now were the years of promise to yield their golden har- 
vest: 

Hope, so long deferred, sickly sparkled in her eye. 

The miserable past was forgotten, as she looked for the hap- 
pier future. 

And she checked, as unworthy and ungrateful, the dark sus- 
picious thought 

That perchance her right had been the safer, if not left oJone 
with honor : 



126 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



But, alas, the sad knowledge soon came, that her stern task- 
master's will 
Hath rewarded her toil with a jibe, her patience with utter 

destitution ! — 
Shall not the scourge of justice lash that cruel coward. 
Who mingled the gall of ingratitude with the bitterness of 

disapppiotment 1 
Shall not the hate of men, and vengeance, fiercely pursuing. 
Hunt down the wretched being that sinneth in his grave 1 
He fancied his idol self safe from the wrath of his fellows, 
But Hades rose as he came in, to point at him the finger of 

scorn ; 
And again must he meet that orphan-maid to answer her 

face to face, 
And her wrongs shall cling around his neck, to hinder him 

rising with the just : 
For his last most solemn act has linked his name with liar, 
And the crime of Ananias is branded on his brow ! 



A good man commendeth his cause to the one great Patron 
of innocence. 

Convinced of justice at the last, and sure of good mean- 
while. 

He knoweth he hath a Guardian, wise and kind and strong. 

And can thank Him for giving, or refusing, the trust or the 
curse of riches : 

His confidence standeth as a rock ; he dreadeth not malice 
nor caprice. 

Nor the whisperings of artful men, nor envious secret influ- 
ence ; 

He scorneth servile compromise, and the pliant mouthings of 
deceit ; 

He maketh not a show of love, where he cannot concede 
esteem ; 

He regardeth ill-got wealth, as the root most fruitful of 
wretchedness. 



SERIES I.J OF WEALTH. 127 

So he walketh in straight integrity, leaning on God and his 
right. 

No gain, but by its price ; labor, for the poor man s meal, 
Ofttimes heart-sickening toil, to win him a morsel for his 

hunger : 
Labor, for the chapman at his trade, a dull unvaried round. 
Year after year, unto death ; yea, what a weariness is it I 
Labor, for the pale-faced scribe, drudging at his hated desk, 
Who bartereth for needful pittance the untold gold of health ; 
Labor, with fear, for the merchant, whose hopes are ventured 

on the sea ; 
Labor, with care, for the man of law, responsible in his 

gains ; 
Labor, with envy and annoyance, where strangers will thee 

wealth ; 
Labor, with indolence and gloom, where wealth falleth from 

a father ; 
Labor unto all, whether aching thews, or aching head, or 

spirit, — 
The curse on the sons of men, in all their states, is labor. 
Nevertheless, to the diligent, labor bringeth blessings : 
The thought of duty sweeteneth toil, and travail is as plea- 
sure ; 
And time spent in doing hath a comfort that is not for the 

idle. 
The hardship is transmuted into joy, by the dear alchemy of 

Mercy. 
Labor is good for a man, bracing up his energies to conquest. 
And without it life is dull, the man perceiving himself use- 
less : 
For wearily the body groaneth, lil^e a door on rusty hinges. 
And the grasp of the mind is weakened, as the talons of a 

caged vulture. 
Wealth hath never given happiness : but often hastened 
misery ; 



]28 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Enough hath never caused misery, but often quickened happi- 
ness: 

Enough is less than thy thought, O pampered creature of 
society, 

And he that hath more than enough, is a thief of the rights 
of his brother. 



OF INVENTION. 



Man is proud of his mind, boasting that it giveth him div^ inity, 

Yet with all its powers, can it originate nothing; 

For the great God into all his works hath largely poured out 
himself. 

Saving one special property, the grand prerogative — Creation. 

To imjirove and expand is ours, as well as to limit and defeat ; 

But to create a thought or a tiling is hopeless and impossible. 

Can a man make matter 1 — and yet this w^ould-be-god 

Thinketh to make mird, and form original idea : 

The potter must have his clay, and the mason his quarry, 

And mind must drain ideas from everything around it. 

Doth the soil generate herbs, or the torrid air breed flies. 

Or tlie water frame its monads, or the mist its swarming 
blight 1— 

Mediately, through thousand generations, having seed 
within themselves, 

All things, rare or gross, own one common Father. 

Truly spike Wisdom, there is nothing new under the sun ; 

We only arrange and combine the ancient elements of all 
things. 

Invention is activity of mind, as fire is air in motion. 

A sharpening of the spiritual sight, to discern hidden apti- 
tudes. 

From the basket and acanthus, is modelled the graceful 
capital ; 



SERIES I.J 



OF INVENTION. 



129 



The shadowed profile on the wall helpeth the limner to his 
likeness : 

The footmarks stamped in clay, lead on the thoughts to 
printing ; 

The strange skin garments cast upon the shore suggest an- 
other hemisphere : (23) 

A falling apple taught the sage pervading gravitation ; 

The Huron is certain of his prey, from tracks upon the grass ; 

And shrewdness, guessing on the hint, followeth on the trail ; 

But the hint must be given, the trail must be there, or the 
keenest sight is as blindness. 

Behold the barren reef, which an earthquake hath just left 

dry; 
It hath no beauty to boast of, no harvest of fair fruits : 
But soon the lichen fixeth there, and, dying, diggeth its own 

grave. (2*) 
And softening suns and splitting frosts crumble the reluctant 

surface ; 
And cormorants roost there, and the snail addeth its slime, 
And efts, with muddy feet, bring their welcome tribute ; 
And the sea casteth out her dead, wrapped in a shroud of 

weeds ; 
And orderly nature arrangeth again the disunited atoms ; 
Anon, the cold smooth stone Is warm with feathery grass, 
And the light sporules of the fern are dropt by the passing 

wind. 
The wood-pigeon, on swift wing, leaveth its crop-full of grain, 
The squirrel's jealous care planteth the fir-cone, and the filbert; 
Years pass, and the sterile rock is rank with tangled herbage ; 
The wild vine clingeth to the brier, and ivy runneth green 

among the corn. 
Lordly beeches are studded on the down, and willows crowd 

around the rivulet, 
And the tall pine and hazel thicket shade the rambling 

hunter. 



130 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Shall the rock boast of its fertility ? shall it lift the head in 

pride 1 — 
Shall the mind of man be vain of the harvest of its thoughts 1 
The savage is that rock ; and a million chances from without, 
By little and little acting on the mind, heap up the hotbed of 

society ; 
And the soul, fed and fattened on the thouglits and things 

around It, 
Groweth to perfection full of fruit, the fruit of foreign seeds. 
For we learn upon a hint, we find upon a clue, 
We yield an hundred-fold ; but the great sower is Analogy. 
There must be an acrid sloe before a luscious peach, 
A boil of rotting flax before the bridal veil, 
An egg before an eagle, a thought before a thing, 
A spark struck into tinder to light the lamp of knowledge, 
A slight suggestive nod to guide the watching mind, 
A half-seen hand upan the wall, pointing to tlie balance of 

Comparison, 
By culture man may do all things, short of the miracle, — 

Creation ; 
Here is the limit of thy power, — here let thy pride be stayed : 
The soil may be rich, and the mind may be active, but 

neither yield unsown : 
The eye cannot make light, nor the mind make spirit ; 
Therefore it is wise in man to name all novelty invention ; 
For it is to find out things that are, not to create the unex- 

isting:. 
It is to cling to contiLniitie«, to be keen in catching likeness, 
And with energetic el;i^!ticity to leap the gulfs of contrast. 
The globe knoweth not increase, either of matter or spirit : 
Atoms and thoughts are used again, mixed in varied combi- 
nations ; 
And though, by moulding them anew, thou makest them 

thine «wn. 
Yet have they served thousands, and all their merit is of God. 



SERIES I.] 



OF RIDICULE. 



131 



OF RIDICULE. 



Seams of thought for the sage's brow, and laughing lines for 

the fool's face ; 
For all things leave their track in the mind ; and the glass of 

the mind is f iithful. 
Seest thou much mirth upon the cheek 1 there is then little 

exercise of virtue ; 
For he that looketh on the world cannot be glad and good : 
Seest thou much gravity in the eye 1 he not assured of finding 

wisdom ; 
For she hath too great praise, not to get many mimics ; 
There is a grave-f iced folly ; and verily, a laughter-loving 

wisdom : 
And what, if surface-judges account it vain frivolity 1 
There is indeed an evil in excess, and a field may lie fallow 

too long ; 
Yet merriment is often as a froth, that mantleth on the strong 

mind : 
And note thou this for a verity, — the subtlest thinker when 

alone. 
From ease of thoughts unbent, will laugh the loudest with 

his fellows ; 
And well is the loveliness of wisdom mirrored in a cheerful 

countenance ; 
Justly the deepest pools are proved by dimpling eddies ; 
For that a true philosophy comm mdeth an innocent life, 
And the unguilty s])irit is lighter than a linnet's heart ; 
Yea, there is no cosmetic like a holy conscience : 
The eye is bright with trust, the cheek bloomed over with 

aftection, 
The brow unwrinklcd by a care, and the lip triumphant in 

its gladness. 




132 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



And for yon grave-faced folly, need not far to look for her : 

How seriously on trifles dote those leaden eyes, 

How ruefidly she sigheth after chances long gone by, 

How sulkily she moaneth over evils without cure ! 

I have known a true-born mirth, the child of innocence and 

wisdom, 
I have seen a base-born gravity, mingled of ignorance and 

guilt: 
And again a base-born mirth, springing out of carelessness 

and folly, 
And again, a true-born gravity, the product of reflection and 

right fear. 
The wounded partridge hideth in a furrow, and a stricken 

conscience would be left alone ; 
But when its breast is healed, it runneth gladly with its 

fellows : 
Whereas the solitary heron, standing in the sedgy fen, 
Holdeth aloof from the social world, intent on wiles and 

death. 



Need but of light philosophy to dare the world's dread 

laugh ; 
For a little mind courteth notoriety, to illustrate its puny self; 
But the sneer of a man's own comrades trieth the muscles of 

courage, 
And to be derided in his home is as a viper in the nest : 
The laugh of a hooting world hath in it a notion of sublimity, 
But the tittering private circle stingeth as a hive of wasps. 
Some have commended ridicule : counting it the test of 

truth. (25) 
But neither wittily nor wisel}'^ ; for truth must prove ridicule ; 
Otherwise a blunt bulrush is to pierce the proof armor of 

argument. 
Because the stolidity of ignorance took it for a barbed shaft. 
Softer is the hide of the rhinoceros than the heart of deriding 

unbelief, 



SERIES I.] 



OF COMMENDATION. 



133 






And truth is idler there than the Bushman's feathered reed : 

A droll conceit parrieth a thrust that should have hit the 
conscience, 

And the leering looks' of humor tickle the childish mind ; 

For that the matter of a man is mingled most with folly, 

Neither can he long endure the searching gaze of wisdom. 

It is pleasanter to see a laughing cheek than a serious fore- 
head, 

And there liveth not one among a thousand whose idol is not 
pleasure : 

Ridicule is a weak weapon, when levelled at a strong mind ; 

But common men are cowards, and dread an empty laugh. 

Fear a nettle, and touch it tenderly, — its poison shall burn 
thee to the shoulder ; 

But grasp it with bold hand, — is it not a bundle of myrrh 1 

Betray mean terror of ridicule, thou shalt find fools enough to 
mock thee ; 

But answer thou their laughter with contempt, and the 
scoffers will lick thy feet. 



OF COMMENDATION. 



The praise of holy men is a promise of praise from their 

Master ; 
A forerunning earnest of thy welcome, — Well done, faithful 

servant ; 
A rich preludious note, that droppeth softly on thine ear, 
To tell thee the chords of thy heart are in tune with the 

choirs of heaven. 
Yet is it a dangerous hearing, for the sweetness may lull thee 

into slumber, 
And the cordial quaffed with thirst may generate the fumes 

of presumption. 
So seek it not for itself, but taste, and go gladly on thy 

way, 

12 



134 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. .[series i. 



For the mariner slacketh not his sail, though the sandal- 
groves of Araby allure him ; 

And the fragrance of that incense would harm thee, as when, 
on ;i summer evening, 

The honied yellow flowers of the broom oppress thy charmed 
sense : 

And a m \n hath too much of praise, for he praiseth himself 
continually ; 

Neither lacketh ho at any time self-commendation or excuse. 



Praise a fool, and slay him : for the canvas of his vanity is 
spread ; 

Hi:> bark is shallow in the water, and a sudden gust shall 
sink it : 

Praise a wise mnn, and speed him on his way; for he car- 
rieth the ballast of humility. 

And is glul when his course is cheered by the sympathy of 
brethren ashore. 

The praise of a good man is good, for he holdeth up the mir- 
ror of Truth, 

That Virtue lULiy see her own beauty, and delight in her own 
fair face : 

The prni?e of a bad man is evil, for he hideth the deformity 
of Vice, 

Casting the mmtle of a queen around the limbs of a leper. 

Pri jse is rebuke to the man whose conscience alloweth it not : 

And where con.?cience feeleth it her due, no praise is better 
than a little. 

He that despiseth the outward appearance, despiseth the es- 
teem of his fellows ; 

And he that overmuch regardeth it, shall earn only their con- 
tempt : 

The honest commendation of an equal no one can scorn, and 
be blameless, 

Yet even that fair fame no one can hunt for and be hon- 
ored : 



SERIES I.] 



OF COMMENDATION. 



135 



If it come, accept it and be thankful, and be thou humble in 

accepting ; 
If it tarry, be not thou cast down ; the bee can gather honey 

out of rue : 
And is thine aim so low, that the breath of those around thee 
Can speed thy feathered arrow, or retard its flight 1 
The child shooteth at a butterfly, but the man's mark is an 

eagle : 
And Vv'hile his fellows talk, he hath conquered in the 

clouds. 
Ally tliee to truth and godliness, and use the talents in thy 

charge ; 
So shalt thou walk in peace, deserving, if not having. 
With a friend, praise him when thou canst; for many a 

friendship hath decayed. 
Like a plant in a crowded corner, for want of sunshine on its 

leaves : 
With another praise him not often— otherwise he shall de- 
spise thee ; 
But be thou frugal in commending ; so will he give honor to 

thy judgment: 
For thou that dost so zealously commend, art acknowledging 

thine own inferiority, 
And he, thou so highly hast exalted, shall proudly look down 

on thy esteem. 



Wilt thou that one remember a thing ? — ^praise him in the 
midst of thy advice ; 

Never yet forgat man the word whereby he hath been praised. 

Better to be censured by a thousand fools, than approved but 
by one man that is wise ; 

For the pious are slower to help right, than the profane to 
hinder it: 

So, where the world rebuketh, there look thou for the excel- 
lent, 

And be suspicious of the good, which wicked men can praise. 



136 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



The captain bindeth his troop, not more by severity than 

kindness, 
And justly, should recompense well-doing, as well as be strict 

with an offender ; 
The laurel is cheap to the giver, but precious in his sight 

who hath won it, 
And the heart of the soldier rejoiceth in the approving glance 

of his chief. 
Timely-given praise is even better than the merited rebuke 

of censure, 
For the sun is more needful to the plant than the knife that 

cutteth out a canker ; 
Many a father hath erred, in that he hath withheld reproof, 
But more have mostly sinned, in withholding praise where it 

was due : 
There be many such as Eli among men ; but these be more 

culpable than Eli, 
Who chill the fountain of exertion by the freezing looks of 

indifference : 
Ye call a man easy and good, yet he is as a two-edged 

sword, 
He rebuke th not vice, and it is strong : he comforteth not vir- 
tue, and it fainteth. 
There is nothing more potent among men than a gift timely 

bestowed, 
And a gift kept back where it was hoped, separateth chief 

friends ; 
For what is a gift but a symbol, giving substance to praise 

and esteem 1 
And where is a sharper arrow than the sting of unmerited 

neglect 1 



Expect ncjt praise from the mean, neither gratitude from the 

selfish; 
And to keep the proud thy friend, see thou do him not a 

service : 



SERIES I.J 



OF COMMENDATION. 



137 



For, behold, he will hate thee for his debt: thou hast hum- 
bled him by giving ; 

And his stubbornness never shall acknowledge the good he 
h'ith t iken from thy hand : 

Yea, rather will he turn and be thy foe, lest thou gather from 
his friendship. 

That he doth account thee creditor, and standeth in the se- 
cond place. 

Still, O kindly feeling heart, be not thou chilled by the thank- 
less, 

Neither let the breath of gratitude fan thee into momentary 
heat; 

Do good for good's own sake, looking not to v/orthiness nor 
love : 

Fling thy grain among the rocks, cast thy bread upon the 
waters. 

His claim be strongest to thy help, who is thrown most help- 
lessly upon thee, — 

So shalt thou have a better praise, and reap a richer harvest 
of reward. 



If a man hold fast to thy creed, and fit his thinking to thy 
notions, 

Thou shalt take him for a man right minded, yea, and excuse 
his evil : 

But seest thou not, O bigot, that thy zeal is but a hunting 
after praise. 

And the full ple:isure of a proselyte lieth in the flattering of 
self? 

A man of many praises meeteth many welcomes. 

But he who blameth often, shall not keep a friend ; 

The velvet-coated apricot is one thing, and the spiked horse- 
chestnut is another, 

A handle of smooth amber is pleasanter thanrouj^h buck-horn. 

Show me a popubir man ; 1 can tell thee the secret of his 
power ; 

12* 



138 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



He hath soothed them with glozing words, lulling their ears 

with flattery, 
The smile of seeming approbation is ever the companion of 

his presence, 
And courteous looks, and warm regards, earn him all their 

hearts. 

Nothing but may be better, and every better might be best • 

The blind may discern, and the simple prove, fault or want 
in all things. 

And a little mind looketh on the lily with a microscopic eye, 

Eager and glad to pry out specks on its robe of purity ; 

But a great mind gazeth on the sun, glorying in his bright- 
ness. 

And taking large knowledge of his good, in the broad prairie 
of creation : 

What, though he hatch basilisks 1 what, though spots are on 
the sun 1 

in fulness is his worth, in fulness be his praise ! 



OF SELF-ACaUAINTANCE. 



Knowledge holdeth by the hilt, and heweth out a road to 
conquest ; 

Ignorance graspeth the blade, and is wounded by its own 
good sword : 

Knowledge distilleth health from the virulence of opposite 
poisons ; 

Ignorance mixeth wholesomes unto the breeding of disease : 

Knowledge is leagued with the universe, and findeth a friend 
in all things ; 

But ignorance is everywhere a stranger ; unwelcome, ill at 
ease, and out of place. 

A man is helpless and unsafe up to the measure of his igno- 
rance, 



SERIES I.] OF SELF-ACaUAINTANCE. 



139 



For he lacketh perception of the aptitudes commending such 
a matter to his use, 

Clutching at the horn of danger, while he judgeth it the 
handle of security. 

Or casting his anchor no widely, that the granite reef is just 
within the tether. 

Untaught in science he is but half alive, stupidly taking note 
of nothing, 

Or listening with dull wonder to the crafty saws of an em- 
piric ; 

Simple in the world, he trusteth unto knaves ; and then to 
make amends for folly, 

Dealeth so shrewdly with the honest, they cannot but sus- 
pect him for a thief; 

With an unknown God, he makethmock of reason, fathering 
contrivance on chance, 

Or doting with superstitious dread on some crooked image of 
his fancy. 

But ignorant of self, he is weakness at heart ; the keystone 
crumbleth into sand. 

There is panic in the general's tent, the oak is hollow as 
hemlock ; 

Though the warm sap creepeth up its bark, filling out the 
sheaf of leaves, 

Though knowledge of all things beside add proofs of seeming 
vigor. 

Though the master-mind of the royal sage feast on the mys- 
teries of wisdom. 

Yet ignorance of self shall bow down the spirit of a Solomon 
to idols ; 

The storm of temptation, sweeping by, shall snap that oak 
like a reed, 

And the proud luxuriance of its tufted crown drag it the sooner 
to the dust. 



Youth, confident in self, tampereth with dangerous dalliance, 



140 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Till the vice his heart once hated hath locked him in her 
foul embrace : 

Manhood, through zeal of doing good, seeketh high place for 
its occasions, 

Unwitting that the bleak mountain-air will nip the tender 
budding of his motives ; 

Or painfully, for love of truth, he climbeth the ladder of sci- 
ence. 

Till pride of intellect, heating his heart, warpeth it aside to 
delusion : 

The maiden, to give shadow to her fairnciis, plaiteth her ra- 
ven hair. 

Heedlessly weaving for her soul the silken net of vanity : 

The grey-beard looketh on his gold, till he loveth its yellow 
smile. 

Unconscious of the bright decoy which is luring his heart 
unto avarice : 

Wrath avoideth no quarrel, jealousy counteth its sus- 
picions, 
I Pining envy gazeth still, and melancholy seeketh solitude, 

The sensitive broodeth on his slights, the fearful poreth over 
horrors. 

The train of wantonness is fired, the nerves of indecision are 
unstrung, 

Each special proneness unto harm is pampered by ignorant 
indulgence, 

And the man, for want of warning, yieldeth to the apt tempt 
ation. 

A smith at the loom, and a weaver at the forge, were but 
sorry craftsmen ; 

And a ship that saileth on every wind never shall reach her 
port: 

Yet there be thousands among men who heed not the lean- 
ing of their talents, 

But, cutting against the grain, toil on to no good end ; 



SERIES I.] OF SELF-ACaUAINTANCE. 



141 



And the light of a thoughtful spirit is quenched beneath the 
bushel of commerce, 

While meaner plodding minds are driven up the mountain of 
philosophy : 

The cedar withereth on a wall, while the house-leek is fat- 
tening in a hot-bed, 

And the dock with its rank leaves hideth the sun from vio- 
lets. 

To everything a fitting place, a proper honorable use ; 

The humblest measure of mind is bright in its humble sphere : 

The glowworm, creeping in the hedge, lighteth her evening 
torch, 

And her f;ir-off mate, on gossamer sail, steereth his course by 
that star : 

But ignorance mocketh at proprieties, bringing out the glow- 
worm at noon, 

And setteth the faults of mediocrity in the full blaze of wis- 
dom. 

Ravens croaking in darkness, and a skylark trilling to the 
sun, 

The voice of a screech-owl from a ruin, and the black-bird's 
whistle in a wood, 

A cushion-footed camel for the sands, and a swift reindeer 
for the snows, 

A naked skin for Ethiopia, and rich soft furs for the Pole : 

In all things is there a fitness : discord with discord hath its 
music ; 

And the harmony of nature is preserved by each one know- 
ing his place. 



The blind at an easel, the palsied with a graver, the halt 

making for the goal, 
The deif ear tuning psaltery, the stammerer discoursing 

eloquence, — 
What wonder if all fail 1 the shaft flieth wide of the mark 
Alike if itself be crooked, or the bow be strung awry ; 



142 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

And the mind which were excellent in one way, but foolishly 
toileth in another, 

What is it but an ill-stnmg bow, and its aim a crooked ar- 
row 1 

By knowledge of self, thou provest thy powers ; put not the 
racer to the plough. 

Nor goad the toilsome ox to wager his slowness with the fleet : 

Consider thy failings, heed thy propensities, search out thy 
latent virtue?;, 

Analyse the doubtful, cultivate the good, and crush the head 
of evil ; 

So shalt thou catch with quick hand the golden ball of op- 
portunity. 

The warrior armed shall be ready for the fray, beside his 
bridled steed ; 

Thou shalt ward off special harms, and have the sway of 
circumstance, 

And turn to thy special good the common current of events : 

Choosing from the wardrobe of the world, thou shalt suitably 
clothe thy spirit, 

Nor thrust the white hand of peace into the gauntlet of de- 
fiance : 

The shepherd shall go with a staff, and conquer by sling and 
stone ; 

The soldier shall let alone the distaff, and the scribe lay 
down the sword ; 

The man unlearned shall keep silence, and earn one attribute 
of wisdom ; 

The sage be sparing of his lessons before unhearing ears : 

Calm shalt thou be, as a lion in repose, conscious of passive 
strength. 

And the shock that splitteth the globe, shall not unthrone 
thy self-possession. 

Acquaint thee with thyself, O man ! so shalt thou be hum- 
ble : 



SERIES I.] OF SELF-ACaUA[NTANCE. 



143 



The hard hot desert of thy heart shall blossom with the lily 

and the rose ; 
The frozen cliffs of pride shall melt as an iceberg in the tro- 
pics; 
The bitter fountains of self-seeking be sweeter than the 

waters of the Nile. 
But if thou lack that wisdom, — thy frail skiff is doomed, 
On stronger eddy whirling to the dreadful gorge ; 
UntiUghL ia that grand lore, — thou standest, cased in steel, 
To d ire with mocking unbelief the thunderbolts of heaven. 
For look ROW around thee on the universe, behold how all 

things serve thee ; 
Tlie teeming soil, and the buoyant sea, and undulating 

air, 
Golden crops, and bloomy fruits, and flowers, and precious 

gems, 
Choice perfumes and fair sights, soft touches and sweet 

music : 
For thee, shoaling up the bay, crowd the finny nations, 
For thee, the cattle on a thousand hills live and labor and 

die . 
Light is thy daily slave, darkness inviteth thee to slumber ; 
Thou art served by the hands of Beauty, and Sublimity 

kneeleth at thy feet : 
Arise, thou sovereign of creation, and behold thy glory ! 
Yet more, thou hast a mind ; intellect wingeth thee to heaven, 
Tendeth thy state on earth, and by it thou divest down to 

hell; 
Thou hast measured the belt of Saturn, thou hast weighed 

the moons of Jupiter, 
And seen, by reason's eye, the centre of thy globe ; 
Subtly hast thou numbered by billions the leagues between 

sun and sun. 
And noted in thy book the coming of their shadows : 
With marvellous unerring truth thou knowest to an inch and 

to an instant, 



144 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



The where and the when of the comet's path that shall seem 
to rush by at thy command : 

Arise, thou king of mind, and survey thy dignity ! 

Yet more, — for once believe religion's flattering tale ; 

Thou hast a soul, aye, and a God, but be not therefore hum- 
bled : 

Thy Maker's self was glad to live and die — a man ; 

The brightest jewel in his crown is voluntary manhood: 

By deep dishonor and great price, bought he that envied free- 
dom, 

But thou wast born an heir of all, thy Master scarce could 
earn. 

O climax unto pride, O triumph of humanity, 

O triple crown upon thy brow, most high and mighty Self! 

Arise, thou Lord of all, thou greater than a God ! — 

How saidst thou, wretched being ? — cast thy glance within ; 

Regard that painted sepulchre, the hovel of thy heart. 

Ha ! with what fearful imagery swarmeth that small cham- 
ber ; 

The horrid eye of murder scowling in the dark, 

The bony hand of avarice, filching from the poor, 

The lurid fires of lust, the idiot face of folly, 

The sickening deed of cruelty, the foul fierce orgies of the 
drunken. 

Weak contemptible vanity, stubborn stolid unbelief. 

Envy's devilish sneer, and the vile features of ingratitude, — 

Man, hast thou seen enough 1 or are these full proof 

That thou art a miracle of mercy, and all thy dignity is dross 1 



Well said th'e wisdom of earth, O mortal, know thyself; 
But better the wisdom of heaven, O man, learn thou thy 

God: 
By knowledge of self thou art conusant of evil, and mailed in 

panoply to meet it ; 
By knowledge of God cometh knowledge of good, and uni - 

versa! love is at thy heart. 



SERIES I.J OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. 



145 



Every creature knoweth its capacities, running in the road of 
instinct, 

And reason must not lag behind, but serve itself of all pro- 
prieties : 

The swift to the race, and the strong to the burden, and the 
wise for right direction ; 

For self-knowledge filleth with acceptance its niche in the 
temple of utility : 

But vainly wilt thou look for that knowledge, till the clue of 
all truth is in thy hand. 

For the labyrinth of man's heart windeth in complicate de- 
ceivings : 

Thou canst not sound its depths with the shallow plumb-line 
of reason. 

Till religion, the pilot of the soul, have lent thee her unfa- 
thomable coil : 

Therefore, for this grand knowledge, and knowledge is the 
parent of dominion, 

Learn God, thou shalt know thyself; yea, and shalt have 
mastery of all things. 



OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. 



Shame upon thee, savage monarch-man, proud monopolist 
of reason ; 

Shame upon Creation's lord, the fierce ensanguined despot : 

What, man ! are there not enough, hunger, and disease, and 
fatigue, — 

And yet must thy goad or thy thong add another sorrow to 
existence 1 

What ! art thou not content thy sin hath dragged down suf- 
fering and death 

On the poor dumb servants of thy comfort, and yet must thou 
rack them with their spite ? 

The prodigal heir of creation hath gambled away his all, — 

13 



146 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

Shall he add torment to the bondage that is galling his forfeit 

serfs ? 
The leader in nature's pasan himself hath marred her psaltery, 
Shall he multiply the din of discord by overstraining all the 

strings 1 
The rebel hath fortified his stronghold, shutting in his vas- 
sals with him — 
Shall he aggravate the woes of the besieged by oppression 

from within 1 
Thou twice deformed image of thy Maker, thou hateful 

representative of Love, 
For very shame be merciful, be kind unto the creatures thou 

hast ruined ; 
Earth and her million tribes are cursed for thy sake ; 
Earth and her million tribes still writhe beneath thy cruelty : 
Liveth there but one among the million that shall not bear 

witness against thee, 
A pensioner of land or air or sea, that hath not whereof it 

will accuse thee 1 
From the elephant toiling at a launch, to the shrew mouse 

in the harvest-field, 
From the whale which the harponeer hath stricken, to the 

minnow caught upon a pin. 
From the albatross wearied in its flight, to the wren in her 

covered nest, • 

From the death-moth and lace-winged dragon-fly, to the 

lady-bird and the gnat. 
The verdict of all things is unanimous, finding their master 

cruel : 
The dog, thy humble friend, thy trusting honest friend ; 
The ass, thine uncomplaining slave, drudging from morn to 

even ; 
The lamb, and the timorous hare, and the laboring ox at 

plough ; 
The speckled trout, basking in the shallow, and the partridge, 

gleaning in the stubble, 



SERIES I.J OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. 



147 



And the stag at bay, and tlie worm in thy path, and the wild 

bird pining in captivity, 
And all things that minister alike to thy life and thy comfort 

and thy pride, 
Testify with one sad voice that man is a cruel master. 



Verily, they are all thine : freely mayst thou serve thee of 
them all : 

They are thine by gift for thy needs, to be used in all grati- 
tude and kindness : 

Gratitude to their God and thine, — their Father and thy 
Father, 

Kindness to them who toil for thee, and help thee with their 
all: 

For meat, but not by wantonness of slaying ; for burden, but 
with limits of humanity ; 

For luxury, but not through torture ; for draught, but accord- 
ing to the strength : 

For a dog cannot plead his own right nor render a reason for 
exemption. 

Nor give a soft answer unto wrath, to turn aside the unde- 
served lash ; 

The galled ox cannot complain, nor supplicate a moment's 
respite ; 

The spent horse hideth his distress, till he panteth out his 
spirit at the goal ; 

"Also, in the winter of life, when worn by constant toil, 

If ingratitude forget his services, he cannot bring them to 
remembrance ; 

Behold he is faint with hunger ; the big tear standeth in his 
eye; 

His skin is sore with stripes, and he tottereth beneath his 
burden ; 

His limbs are stiff with age, his sinews have lost their vigor, 

And pain is st;imped upon his face, while he vvrestleth un- 
equally with toil ; 



148 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Yet once more mutely and meekly endureth he the crushing 

blow; 
That struggle hath cracked his heart-strings, — the generous 

brute is dead ! 
Liveth there no advocate for him ? no judge to avenge his 

wrongs ■? 
No voice that shall be heard in his defence 1 no sentence to 

be passed on his oppressor 1 
Yea, the sad eye of the tortured pleadeth pathetically for 

him : 
Yea, all the justice in heaven is roused in indignation at his 

woes : 
Yea, all the pity upon earth shall call down a curse upon the 

cruel : 
Yea, the burning malice of the wicked is their own exceed- 
ing punishment. 
The Angel of Mercy stoppeth not to comfort, but passeth by 

on the other side, 
And hath no tear to shed when a cruel man is damned. 



OF FRIENDSHIP. 



As frost to the bud, and blight to the blossom, even such is 
self-interest to friendship : 

For Confidence cannot dwell where Selfishness is porter at 
the gate. 

If thou see thy friend to be selfish, thou canst not be sure of 
his honesty ; 

And in seeking thine own weal, thou hast wronged the reli- 
ance of thy friend. 

Flattery hideth her varnished face when Friendship sitteth 
at his board ; 

And the door is shut upon suspicion, but candor is bid glad 
welcome. 

For friendship abhorreth doubt, its life is in mutual trust, 



SERIES I.] 



- OF FRIENDSHIP. 



149 



And perisheth, when artful praise proveth. it is sought for a 
purpose. 

A man m ly be good to thee at times, and render thee mighty- 
service, 

Whom yet thy secret soul could not desire as a friend ; 

For the sum of life is in trifles, and though, in the weightier 
masses, 

A man refuse thee not his purse, nay, his all in thine utmost 
need, 

Yet, if thou canst not feel that his character agreeth with 
thine own, 

Thou never wilt call him friend, though thou render him a 
heart full of gratitude. 

A coarse man grindeth harshly the finer feelings of his brother ; 

A common mind will soon depart from the dull companion- 
ship of wisdom ; 

A weak soul dareth not to follow in the track of vigor and 
decision; 

And the worldly regardeth with scorn the seeming foolish- 
ness of faith. 

A mountain is made up of atoms, and friendship of little 
matters, 

And if the atoms hold not together, the mountain is crum- 
bled into dust. 



Come, I will show thee a friend ; I will paint one worthy 

of thy trust: 
Thine heart shall not weary of him: thou shalt not secretly 

despise him. 
Thou art long in learning him, in unravelling all his worth ; 
And he dazzleth not thine eyes at first, to be darkened in thy 

sight afterward, 
But riseth from small beginnings, and reacheth the height of 

thy esteem. 
He remembereth that thou art only man ; he expecteth not 

great things from thee ; 
13* 



150 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



And his forbearance toward thee silently teacheth thee to be 

considerate unto him. 
He despiseth not courtesy of manner, nor neglecteth the 

decencies of life : 
Nor mocketh the failings of others, nor is harsh in his cen- 
sures before thee ; 
For so, how couldst thou tell, if he talketh not of thee in 

ridicule 1 
He withholdeth no secret from thee, and rejecteth not thine 

in turn ; 
He shareth his joys with thee, and is glad to bear part in thy 

sorrows. 
Yet one thing, he loveth thee too well to show thee the cor- 
ruptions of his heart : 
For as an ill example strengtheneth the hands of the wicked, 
So to put forward thy guilt is a secret poison to thy friend : 
For the evil in his nature is comforted, and he warreth more 

weakly against it, 
If he find that the friend whom he honoreth is a man more 

sinful than himself 
I hear the communing of friends ; ye speak out the fulness 

of your souls, 
And being but men, as men, ye own to all the sympathies of 

manhood : (26) 
Confidence openeth the lips, indulgence beameth from the eye. 
The tongue loveth not boasting, the heart is made glad with 

kindness : 
And one standeth not as on a hill, beckoning to the other to 

follov*^. 
But ye toil up hand in hand, and carry each other's burdens. 
Ye commune of hopes and aspirations, the fervent breathings 

of the heart, 
Ye speak with pleasant interchange the treasured secrets of 

affection. 
Ye listen to the voice of complaint, and whisper the language 

of comfort, 



SERIES I.] OF FRIENDSHIP. 151 

And, as in a double solitude, ye think in each other's hearing. 

Choose thy friend discreetly, and see thou consider his sta- 
tion, 
For the graduated scale of ranks accordeth with the ordinance 

of heaven : 
If a low companion ripen to a friend, in the full sunshine of 

thy confidence, 
Know, that for old age thou hast heaped up sorrow : 
For thou sinkest to that level, and thy kin shall scorn thee, 
Yea, and the menial thou hast pampered haply shall neglect 

thee in thy death : 
And if thou reachest up to high estates, thinking to herd with 

princes, 
What art thou but a footstool, though so near a throne 1 
O rush among the lilies, be taught thou art a weed, 
O brier among the cedars, hot contempt shall burn thee. 
But thou, friend and scholar, select from thine own caste. 
And make not an intimate of one, thy servant or thy master ; 
For only friendship among men is the true republic. 
Where all have equality of service, and all have freedom of 

command. 
And yet, if thou wilt take my judgment, be shy of too' much 

openness with any. 
Lest thou repent hereafter, should he turn and rend thee : 
For many an apostate friend hath abused .unguarded con- 
fidence. 
And bent to selfish ends the secret of the soul. 



Absence strengtheneth friendship, where the last recollec- 
tions were kindly; 

But it must be good wine at the last, or absence shall weaken 
it daily. 

A rare thing is faith, and friendship is a marvel among men, 

Yet strange faces call they friends, and say they believe 
when they doubt. 




152 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Those hours are not lost that are spent in cementing affec- 
tion ; 

For a friend is above gold, precious as the stores of the mind. 

Be sparing of advice by words, but teach thy lesson by exam- 
ple ; 

For the vanity of man may be wounded, and retort unkindly 
upon thee. 

There be some that never had a friend, because they were 
gross and selfish : 

Worldliness, and apathy, and pride, leave not many that are 
worthy : 

But one who meriteth esteem, need never lack a friend ; 

For as thistledown flieth abroad, and casteth its anchor in 
the soil, 

So philanthropy yearneth for a heart, where it may take root 
and blossom. 



Yet I hear the child of sensibility moaning at the wintry 

cold. 
Wherein the mists of selfishness have wrapped the society of 

men: 
He grieveth, and hath deep reasons ; for falsehood hath 

wronged his trust, 
And the breaches in his bleeding heart have been filled with 

the briers of suspicion. 
For alas, how few be friends, of whom charity hath hoped 

well! 
How few there be among men who forget themselves for 

other ! 
Each one seeketh his ovv^n, and looketh on his brethren as 

rivals, 
Masking envy with friendship, to serve his secret ends. 
And the world, that corriipteth all good, hath wronged that 

sacred name, 
For it calleth any man friend, who is not known for an ene- 
my; 



SERIES I.] 



OF LOVE. 



153 



And such be as the flies of summer, while plenty sitteth at 

thy board ; 
But who can wonder at their flight from the cold denials of 

want? 
Such be as vultures round a carcase, assembled together for 

the feast : 
But a sudden noise scareth them, and forthwith are they 

specks among the clouds. 
There be few, O child of sensibility, who deserve to have 

thy confidence ; 
Yet weep not, for there are some, and such some live for 

thee: 
To them is the chilling world a drear and barren scene. 
And gladly seek they such as thou art, for seldom find they 

the occasion. 
For, though no man excludeth himself from the high capa- 
bility of friendship. 
Yet verily the man is a marvel whom truth can write a 

friend. 



OF LOVE. 



There is a fragrant blossom, that maketh glad the garden of 

the heart. 
Its root lieth deep ; it is delicate, yet lasting, as the lilac 

crocus of autumn : 
Loneliness and thought are the dews that water it mom and 

even ; 
Memory and Absence cherish it, as the balmy breathings of 

the south : 
Its sun is the brightness of affection, and it bloometh in the 

borders of Hope ; 
Its companions are gentle flowers, and the brier withereth by 

its side. 
I saw it budding in beauty ; I felt the magic of its smile ; 



154 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

The violet rejoiced beneath it, the rose stooped down and 

kissed it ; 
And I thought some cherub had planted there a truant flower 

of Eden, 
As a bird bringeth foreign seeds, that they may flourish in a 

kindly soil. 
I saw and asked not its name ; I knew no language was so 

wealthy, 
Though every heart of every clime findeth its echo within. 
And yet what shall I say ? Is a sordid man capable of— 

Love? 
Hath a seducer known if? Can an adulterer perceive it ? 
Or he that seeketh strange women, can he feeJ its purity 1 
Or he that changeth often, can he know its truth 1 
Longing for another's happiness, yet often destroying its 

own; 
Chaste, and looking up to God, as the fountain of tenderness 

and joy ; 
Quiet, yet flowing deep, as the Rhine among rivers ; 
Lasting, and knowing not change— it walketh with Truth 

and Sincerity. 

Love : — what a volume in a word, an ocean in a tear, 
A seventh heaven in a glance, a whirlwind in a sigh, 
The lightning in a touch, a millennium in a moment, 
What concentrated joy or woe in blest or blighted love ! 
For it is that native poetry springing up indigenous to Mind, 
The heart's own country music thrilling all its chords, 
The story without an end that angels throng to hear. 
The word, the king of words, carved on Jehovah's heart ! 
Oh! call thou snake-eyed malice mercy, call envy honest 

praise, 
Count selfish craft for wisdom, and coward treachery for pru- 
dence, 
Do homage to blaspheming unbelief as to bold and free phi- 
losophy. 



SERIES I,J 



OF LOVE. 



155 



And estimate the recklessness of license as the right attri- 
bute of liberty, — 

But with the worid, thou friend and scholar, stain not this 
pure name ; 

Nor suffer the majesty of Love to be likened to the meanness 
of desire : 

For Love is no more such, than seraphs' hymns are discord, 

And such is no more Love, than Etna's breath is summer. 

Love is a sweet idolatry, enslaving all the soul, 

A mighty spiritual force, warring with the dullness of matter. 

An angel-mind breathed into a mortal, though fallen yet how 

beautiful ! 
All the devotion of the heart in all its depth and grandeur. 
Behold that pale geraniiim, pent within the cottage window; 
How yearningly it stretcheth to the light its sickly long- 
stalked leaves. 
How it straineth upward to the sun, coveting his sweet influ- 
ences. 
How real a living sacrifice to the god of all its worship ! 
Such is the soul that loveth ; and so the rose-tree of affection 
Bendeth its every leaf to look on those dear eyes, 
Its every blushing petal basketh in their light. 
And all its gladness, all its life, is hanging on their love. 



If the love of the heart is blighted, it buddeth not again ; 
If that pleasant song is forgotten, it is to be learnt no more : 
Yet often will thought look back, and weep over early affec- 
tion ; 
And the dim notes of that pleasant song will be heard as a 

reproachful spirit, ^ 

Moaning in yEolian strains over the desert of the heart. 
Where the hot siroccos of the world have withered its one 
oasis. 



156 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



OF MARRIAGE. 

Seek a good wife of thy God, for she is the best gift of his 

providence ; 
Yet ask not in bold confidence that which he hath not pro- 
mised. 
Thou knowest not his good-will : — be thy prayer then sub- 
missive thereunto ; 
And leave thy petition to his mercy, assured that he will 

deal well with thee. 
If thou art to have a wife of thy youth, she is now living on 

the earth ; 
Therefore think of her, and pray for her weal ; yea, though 

thou hast not seen her. 
They that love early become like-minded, and the tempter 

toucheth them not: 
They grow up leaning on each other, as the olive and the 

vine. 
Youth longeth for a kindred spirit, and yearneth for a heart 

that can commune v*^ith his own ; 
He meditateth night and day, doting on the image of his 

fancy. 
Take heed that what charmeth thee is real, nor springeth of 

thine own imagination ; 
And suffer not trifles to win thy love ; for a wife is thine 

unto death. 
The harp and the voice may thrill thee, — sound may enchant 

thine ear, 
But consider thou, — the hand w^ill wither, and the sweet 

notes turn to discord : 
The eye, so brilliant at even, may be red with sorrow in the 

morning ; 
And the sylph-like form of elegance must writhe in the 

crampings of pain. 



SERIES I.J 



OF MARRIAGE. 



157 



O happy lot, and hallowed, even as the joy of angels, 
Where the golden chain of godliness is entwined with the 

roses of love : 
But beware, thou seem not to be holy, to win favor in the 

eyes of a creature. 
For the guilt of the hypocrite is deadly, and winneth thee 

wrath elsewhere. 
The idol of thy heart is as thou, a probationary sojourner on 

earth ; 
Therefore be chary of her soul, for that is the jewel in her 

casket. 
Let her be a child of God, that she bring with her a blessing 

to thy house, — 
A blessing above riches, and leading contentment in its train : 
Let her be an heir of heaven : so shall she help thee on thy 

way; 
For those who are one in faith, fight double-handed against 

evil. 
Take heed lest she love thee before God ; that she be not an 

idolater : 
Yet see that she love thee well : for her heart is the heart of 

woman ; 
And the triple nature of humanity must be bound by a triple 

chain, 
For soul and mind and body — godliness, esteem, and affection. 



How beautiful is modesty ! it winneth upon all beholders : 
But a word or a glance may destroy the pure love that should 

have been for thee. 
Affect not to despise beauty ; no one is freed from its dominion : 
But regard it not a pearl of price : — it is fleeting as the bow in 

the clouds. 
If the character within be gentle, it often hath its index in 

the countenance : 
The soft smile of a loving face is better than splendor that 

fadeth quickly. 

14 



358 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

When thou choosest a wife, think not only of thyself, 

But of those God may give thee of her, that they reproach 

thee not for their being : 
See that he hath given her health, lest thou lose her early 

and v/eep ; 
See that she springeth of a wholesome stock, that thy little 

ones perish not before thee : 
For many a fair skin hath covered a mining disease, 
And many a laughing cheek been bright with the glare of 

madness. 

Mark the converse of one thou lovest, that it be simple and 
sincere ; 

For an artful or false woman shall set thy pillow with thorns. 

Observe her deportment with others, when she thinketh not 
that thou art nigh, 

For with thee will the blushes of love conceal the true color 
of her mind. 

Hath she learning? it is good, so that modesty go with it: 

Hath she wisdom 1 it is precious, but beware that thou ex- 
ceed; 

For woman must be subject, and the true mastery is of the 
mind. 

Be joined to thine equal in rank, or the foot of pride will kick 
at thee : 

And look not only for riches, lest thou be mated with mise- 
ry : 

Marry not without means ; for so shouldst thou tempt Provi- 
dence ; 

But wait not for more than enough ; for marriage is the duty 
of most men ; 

Grievous indeed must be the burden that shall outweigh in- 
nocence and health, ' 

And a well-assorted marriage hath not many cares 

In the day of the joy consider the poor : thou shalt reap a 
rich harvest of blessing ; 



SERIES I.J 



OF MARRIAGE. 



159 



For these be the pensioners of One who filleth thy cup with 

pleasures , 
In the day of thy joy he thankful : He hath well deserved 

thy praise : 
Mean and selfish is the heart that seeketh him only in sorrow. 
For her sake, who leanethjjkthine arm, court not the notice 

of the world, fH 

And remember that sober privacy is comelier than public 

display. 
If thou marriest, thou art allied unto strangers : see they be 

not such as shame thee : 
If thou marriest, thou leavest thine own ; see that it be not 

done in answer. 



Bride and bridegroom, pilgrims of life, henceforward to travel 
together, 

In this the beginning of your journey, neglect not the favor 
of Heaven : 

Let the day of hopes fulfilled be blest by many prayers, 

And at eventide kneel ye together, that your joy be not un- 
hallowed : 

Angels that are round you shall be glad, those loving minis- 
ters of mercy. 

And the richest blessings of your God shall be poured on his 
favored children. 

Marriage is a figure and an earnest of holier things unseen, 

And reverence well becometh the symbol of dignity and glory. 

Keep thy heart pure, lest thou do dishonor to thy state ; 

Selfishness is base and hateful; but love considereth not 
itself 

The wicked turneth good into evil, for his mind is warped 
within him ; 

But the heart of the righteous is chaste ; his conscience cast- 
eth oflf sin. 

If thou wilt be loved, render implicit confidence ; 

If thou wouldst not suspect, receive full confidence in turn : 



360 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

For where trust is not reciprocal, the love that trusted 
wi there th. 

Hide not your grief nor your gladness ; be open one with the 
other ; 

Let bitterness be strange unto your tongues, but sympathy a 
dweller in your hearts ; ^^ 

Imparting halveth the evils, w^^p it doubleth the pleasures 
of life, 

But sorrows breed and thicken in the gloomy bosom of Re- 
serve. 

Young wife, be not froward, nor forget that modesty beco- 
meth thee ; 

If it be discarded now, who will not hold it feigned before 1 

But be not as a timid girl, — there is honor due to thine estate : 

A matron's modesty is dignified ; she blusheth not, neither is 
she bold. 

Be kind to the friends of thine husband, for the love they 
have to him : 

And gently bear with his infirmities ; hast thou no need of 
his forbearance 1 

Be not always in each other's company ; it is often good to 
be alone ; 

And if there be too much sameness, ye cannot but grow 
weary of each other ; 

Ye have each a soul to be nourished, and a mind to be taught 
in wisdom. 

Therefore, as accountable for time, help one another to im- 
prove it. 

If ye feel love to decline, track out quickly the secret cause ; 

Let it not rankle for a day, but confess and bewail it to- 
gether : 

Speedily seek to be reconciled, for love is the life of mar- 
riage ; 

And be ye co-partners in triumph, conquering the peevisli- 
ness of self. 



SERIES I.J OF EDUCATION. 161 

Let no one have thy confidence, O wife, saving thine hus- 
band : 

Have not a friend more intimate, O husband, than thy wife. 

In the joy of a well-ordered home, be warned that this is not 
your rest ; 

For the substance to come may be forgotten in the present 
beauty of the shadow. 

If ye are blessed with children ye have a fearful pleasure, 

A deeper care and a higher joy, and the range of your exist- 
ence is widened : 

If God in wisdom refuse them, thank him for an unknown 
mercy : 

For how can ye tell if they might be a blessing or a curse 1 

Yet ye may pray, like Hannah, simply dependent on his 
will : 

Resignation sweeteneth the cup, but impatience dasheth it 
with vinegar. 

Now this is the sum of the matter :— if ye will be happy in 
marriage, 

Confide, love, and be patient : be faithful, firm, and holy. 



OF EDUCATION. 

A babe in a house is a well-spring of pleasure, a messenger 
of peace and love : 

A resting place for innocence on earth ; a link between angels 
and men : 

Yet is it a talent of trust, a loan to be rendered back with in- 
terest ; 

A delight, but redolent of care ; honey-sweet, but lacking not 
the bitter. 

For character groweth day by day, and all things aid it in 
unfolding, 

And the bent unto good or evil may be given in the hours of 
infancy : 

14* 



162 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Scratch the green rind of a sapling, or wantonly twist it in. 
the soil, 4 

The scarred and crooked oak will tell of thee for centuries to 
come ; 

Even so mayst thou guide the mind to good, or lead it to the 
marrings of evil, 

For disposition is builded up by the fashioning of first im- 
pressions : 

Wherefore, though the voice of Instruction waiteth for the 
* ear of reason, 

Yet with its mother's milk the young child drinketh Educa- 
tion. 

Patience is the first great lesson ; he may learn it at the breast ; 

And the habit of obedience and trust may be grafted on his 
mind in the cradle : 

Hold the little hands in prayer, teach the weak knees their 
kneeling ; 

Let him see thee speaking to thy God ; he will not forget it 
afterward : 

When old and grey, will he feelingly remember a mother's 
tender piety. 

And the touching recollectioi^f her prayers shall arrest the 
strong man in his sin. 



Select not to nurse thy darling one that may taint his in- 
nocence, 

For example is a constant monitor, and good seed will die 
among the tares. 

The arts of a strange servant have spoiled a gentle disposi- 
tion : 

Mother, let him learn of thy lips, and be nourished at thy 
breast. 

Character is mainly moulded by the cast of the minds that 
surround it : 

Let then the playmates of thy little one be not other than 
thy judgment shall approve ; 



SERIES I.] 



OF EDUCATION. 



163 



For a child is in a new world, and learneth somewhat every 

moment, 
His eye is quick to observe, his memory storeth in secret, 
His ear is greedy of knowledge, and his mind is plastic as 

soft wax. 
Beware then that he heareth what is good, that he feedeth 

not on evil maxims, 
For the seeds of first instructions are dropped into the deep- 
est furrows. 
That which immemorial use hath sanctioned, seemeth to be 

right and true ; 
Therefore, let him never have to recollect the time when 

good things were strangers to his thought. 
Strive not to centre in thyself, fond mother, all his love ; 
Nay, do not thou so selfishly, but enlarge his heart for others ; 
Use him to sympathy betimes, that he learn to be sad with 

the afilicted ; 
And check not a child in his merriment, — should not his 

morning be sunny 1 
Give him not all his desire, so shalt thou strengthen him in 

hope; 
Neither stop with indulgence the fountain of his tears, so 

shall he fear thy firmness. 
Above all things graft on him subjection, yea in the veriest 

trifle ; 
CoTirtesy to all, reverence to some, and to thee unanswering 

obedience. 

Read thou first, and well approve, the books thou givest to 

thy child ; 
But remember the weakness of his thought, and that wisdom 

for him must be diluted ; 
In the honied waters of infant tales, let him taste the strong 

wine of truth: 
Pathetic stories soften the heart ; but legends of terror breed 

midnight misery ; 



164 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

Fairy fictions cram the mind with folly, and knowledge of evil 

temptetli to like evil : 
Be not loath to curb imagination, nor be fearful that truths 

will depress it ; 
And for evil, he will llearn it soon enough ; be not thou the 

devil's envoy. 
Induce not precocity of intellect, for so shouldst thou nourish 

vanity ; 
Neither can a plant, forced in the hot-bed, stand against the 

frozen breath of winter. 
The mind is made wealthy by ideas, but the multitude of 

words is a clogging weight : 
Therefore be understood in thy teaching, and instruct to the 

measure of capacity. 
Analogy is milk for babes, but abstract truths are strong meat ; 
Precepts and rules are repulsive to a child, but happy illustra- 
tion winneth him : 
In vain shalt thou preach of industry and prudence, till he 

learn of the bee and the ant ; 
Dimly will he think of his soul, till the acorn and the chry- 
salis have taught him. 
He will fear God in thunder, and worship his loveliness in 

flowers ; 
And parables shall charm his heart, while doctrines seem 

dead mystery ; 
Faith shall he learn of the husbandman casting good corn 

into the soil ; 
And if thou train him to trust thee, he will not withhold his 

reliance from the Lord. 
Fearest thou the dark, poor child 1 I would not have thee 

left to thy terrors ; 
Darkness is the semblance of evil, and nature regardeth it 

with dread : 
Yet know thy father's God is with thee still, to guard thee : 
It is a simple lesson of dependence, let thy tost mind anchor 

upon Him. 



SERIES I.J 



OF EDUCATION. 



165 



Did a sudden noise affright thee 1 lo, this or that hath caused 
it: 

Things undefined are full of dread, and stagger stouter nerves. 

The seeds of misery and madness have been sowed in the 
nights of infancy ; 

Therefore be careful that ghastly fears be not the night com- 
panions of thy child. * 



Lo, thou art a land-mark on a hill ; thy little ones copy thee 
in all things. 

Let, then, thy religion be perfect : so shalt thou be honored in 
thy house. 

Be instructed in all wisdom, and communicate that thou 
knowest. 

Otherwise thy learning is hidden, and thus thou seemest 
unwise. 

A sluggard hath no respect ; an epicure commandeth not re- 
verence : 

Meanness is always despicable, and folly provoketh contempt. 

Those parents are best honored whose characters best de- 
serve it ; 

Show me a child undutiful, I shall know where to look for a 
foolish father : 

Never hath a father done his duty, and lived to be despised 
of his son. 

But how can that son reverence an example he dare not fol- 
low? 

Should he imitate thee in thine evil? his scorn is thy rebuke. 

Nay, but bring him up aright, in obedience to God and to thee ; 

Begin betimes, lest thou fail of his fear ; and with judgment, 
that thou lose not his love : 

Herein use good discretion, and govern not all alike. 

Yet, perhaps, the fault will be in thee, if kindness prove not 
all sufficient : 

By kindness, the wolf and the zebra become docile as the 
spaniel and the horse : 



166 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



The kite feedeth with the starling, under the law of kindness : 
That law shall tame the fiercest, bring down the battlements 

of pride, 
Cherish the weak, control the strong, and win the fearful 

spirit. 
Be obeyed when thou commandest ; but command not often : 
Let thy carriage be the gentleness of love, not the stern front 

of tyranny ; 
Make not one child a warning to another: but chide the 

offender apart : 
For self-conceit and wounded pride rankle like poisons in the 

soul. 
A mild rebuke in the season of calmness, is better than a rod 

in the heat of passion, 
Nevertheless spare not, if thy word hath passed for punish- 
ment; 
Let not thy child see thee humbled, nor learn to think thee 

false ; 
Suffer none to reprove thee before him, and reprove not thine 

own purposes by change ; 
Yet speedily turn thou again, and reward him where thou 

canst. 
For kind encouragement in good cutteth at the roots of evil. 



Drive not a timid infant from his home, in the early spring- 
time of his life, 

Commit not that treasure to an hireling, nor wrench the 
young heart's fibres : 

In his helplessness leave him not alone, a stranger among 
strange children. 

Where affection longeth for thy love, counting the dreary 
hours ; 

Where religion is made a terror, and innocence weepeth un- 
heard ; 

Where oppression grindeth without remedy, and cruelty de- 
lighteth in smiting. 



SERIES I.J 



OF EDUCATION. 



167 



Wherefore comply with an evil fashion 1 Is it not to spare 

thee trouble 1 
Can he gather no knowledge at thy mouth ? Wilt thou yield 

thine honor to another 1 
What can he gain in learning, to equal what he loseth in 

innocence 1 
Alas I for the price above gold, by which such learning 

Cometh ! 
For emulative pride and envy are the specious idols of the 

diligent, 
Oaths and foul-mouthed sin burn in the language of the idle : 
Bolder in the mimic world of boys stareth brazen-fronted vice. 
Then thereafter in the haunts of men, where society doth 

shame her into corners. 
My soul, look well around thee, ere thou give thy timid 

infant unto sorrows. 
There be many that say. We were happiest in days long past, 
When our deepest care was an ill-conned book. 
And when we sported in that merry sunshine of our life, 
Sadness a stranger to the heart, and cheerfulness its gay in- 
habitant. 
True, ye are now less pure, and therefore are more wretched : 
But have ye quite forgotten how sorely ye travailed at your 

tasks, 
How childish griefs and disappointments bowed down the 

childish mind 1 
How sorrow sat upon your pillow, and terror hath waked 

you up betimes. 
Dreading the strict hand of justice, that will not wait for a 

reason. 
Or the whims of petty tyrants, children like yourselves. 
Or the pestilent extract of evil poured into the ear of inno- 
cence 1 
Behold the coral island, fresh from the floor of the Atlantic, 
It is dinted by every ripple, and a soft wave can smooths its 

surface; 



-"-s^PiPPPPl 



168 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



But soon its substance hardeneth in the winds and tropic sun, 

And weakly the foaming billows break against its adaman- 
tine wall ; 

Even thus, though sin and care dash upon the firmness of 
manhood, 

The timid child is wasted most by his petty troubles ; 

And seldom, when life is mature, and the strength propor- 
tioned to the burden. 

Will the feeling mind, that can remember, acknowledge to 
deeper anguish, 

Than when, as a stranger and a little one, the heart first 
ached with anxiety. 

And the sprouting buds of sensibility were bruised by the 
harshness of a school. 

My soul, look well around thee, ere thou give thine infant 
unto sorrows. 

Yet there be boisterous tempers, stout nerves, and stubborn 
hearts, 

And there is a riper season, when the mind is well disciplined 
in good. 

And a thne, when youth may be bettered by the wholesome 
occasions of knowledge. 

Which rarely will it meet with so well as among the con- 
gregation of his fellows. 

Only for infancy, fond mother, rend not those first afiec- 
tions ; 

Only for the sensitive and timorous, consign not thy darling 
unto misery. 



A MAN looketh on his little one, as a being of better hope ; 
In himself ambition is dead, but it hath a resurrection in his 

son ; 
That vein is yet untried, — and who can tell if it be not 

golden ? 
While his, well-nigh worked out, never yielded aught but 

lead: 



SERIES I.] OF EDUCATION. 169 

And thus is he hurt more sorely, if his wishes are defeated 

there ; 
He has staked his all upon a throw, and lo ! the dice have 

foiled him. 
All ways, and at all times, men follow on in flocks, 
And the rife epidemic of the day shall tincture the stream 

of education ; 
Fashion is a foolish watcher posted at the tree of know- 
ledge, 
Who plucketh its unripe fruit to pelt away the birds : 
But, for its golden apples, — they dry upon the boughs. 
And few have the courage or the wisdom to eat in spite of 

fashion : 
One while, the fever is to learn, what none will be wiser for 

knowing. 
Exploded errors in extinct tongues, and occasions for their 

use are small ; 
And the bright morning of life, for years of misspent time, 
Wasted in following sounds, hath tracked up little sense. 
Till at noon a man is thrown upon the world, with a mind 

expert in trifles. 
Having yet everything to learn that can make him good or 

useful : 
The curious spirit of youth is crammed with unwholesome 

garbage. 
While starving for the mother's milk the breasts of nature 

yield ; 
And highly-colored fables of depravity lure with their classic 

varnish, 
While truth is holding out in vain her mirror much despised. 

Op olden time, the fashion was for arms, to make an accom- 
plished slayer. 
And set gregarious man a-tilting with his fellows ; 
Thereafter, occult sciences, and mystic arts, and symbols, 
How to exorcise a wizard, and how to lay a ghost : 

15 



170 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

Anon, all for gallantry and presence, the minuet, the palfry, 

and the foil, 
And the grand aim of education was to produce a coxcomb ; 
Soon came scholastical dispute with hydra-headed argument ; 
And the true philosophy of mind confounded in a labyrinth 

of words ; 
Then, the Pantheon, and its orgies, initiating docile child- 
hood, 
While the diligent youth strove hard to render his all unto 

Caesar ; 
And now is seen the passion for utility, when all things are 

accounted by their price. 
And the wisdom of the wise is busied in hatching golden 

eggs. 
Perchance, not many moons to come, and all will again be 

for abstrusity. 
Unravelling the figured veil that hideth Egypt's gods ; 
Or in those strange Avatars seeking benignant Vishnu, 
Kali, and Kamala the fair, and much-invoked Ganesa. (27) 

The mines of knowledge are oft laid bare through the forked 
hazel wand of chance, 

And in a mountain of quartz we find a grain of gold. 

Of a truth it were well to know all things, and to learn them 
all at once. 

And what, though mortal insufficiency attain to small know- 
ledge of any 1 

Man loveth exclusions delighting in the sterile trodden path, 

While the broad green meadow is jewelled with wild 
flowers : 

And whether is it better with the many to follow a beaten 
track. 

Or by eccentric wanderings to cull unheeded sweets ? 

When his reason yieldeth fruit, make thy child thy friend ! 
For a filial friend is a double gain, a diamond set in gold. 



SERIES I.] 



OF EDUCATION. 



171 



As an infant, thy mandate was enough, but now let him see 
thy reasons ; 

Confide in him, but with discretion ; and bend a willing ear 
to his questions. 

More to thee than to all beside, let him owe good counsel and 
good guidance ; 

Let him feel his pursuits have an interest, more to thee than 
to all beside. 

Watch his native capacities ; nourish that which suiteth 
him the req^diest ; 

And cultivate early those good inclinations wherein thou 
fearest he is most lacking : 

Is he phlegmatic and desponding 1 let small successes com- 
fort his hope ; 

Is he obstinate and sanguine? let petty crosses accustom 
him to life. 

Showeth he a sordid spirit 1 be quick, and teach him gene- 
rosity ; 

Inclineth he to liberal excess 1 prove to him how hard it is 
to earn. 

Gather to thy hearth such friends as are worthy of honor 
and attention. 

For the company a man chooseth is a visible index of his 
heart : 

But let not the pastor whom thou hearest be too much a 
familiar in thy house, 

For thy children may see his infirmities, and learn to cavil 
at his teaching. 

It is well to take hold on occasions, and render indirect in- 
struction ; 

It is better to teach upon a system, and reap the wisdom of 
books : 

The history of nations yieldeth grand outlines : of persons, 
minute detaih. 

Poetry is polished to the mind, and high abstractions cleanse 
it. 



172 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Consider the station of thy son, and breed him to his fortune 
with judgment : 

The rich may profit in much which would bring small ad- 
vantage to the poor. 

But with all thy care for thy son, with all thy strivings for 
his welfare, 

Expect disappointment, and look for pain: for he is of an 
evil siock, and will grieve thee. 



OF TOLERANCE. 



A WISE mptU in a crowded street winneth his way with gen- 
tleness, 

Nor rudely pusheth aside the stranger that standeth in his 
path ; 

He knoweth that blind hurry will but hinder, stirring up 
contention against him, 

Yet holdeth he steadily right on, with his face to the scope 
of his pursuit : 

Even so, in the congress of opinions, the bustling highway 
of intelligence. 

Each man should ask of his neighbor, and yield to him again 
concession. 

Terms ill defined, and forms misunderstood, and customs, 
where their reasons are unknown. 

Have stirred up many zealous souls to fight against imagi- 
nary giants : 

But wisdom will hear the matter out, and often, by keen- 
ness of perception, 

Will find in strange disguise the precious tnith he seeketh ; 

So he leaveth unto prejudice or taste the garb and the man- 
ner of her presence. 

Content to see so nigh the mistress of his love. 

There is no similitude in nature that owneth not also to a 
difference, 



SERIES I.J 



OF TOLERANCE. 



173 



Yea, no two berries are alike, though twins upon one stem ; 

No drop in the ocean, no pebble on the beach, no leaf in the 
forest, hath its counterpart, 

No mind in its dwelling of mortality, no spirit in the world 
unseen : 

And therefore, since capacity and essence differ alike with 
accident, 

None but a bigot partisan will hope for impossible unity. 

Wilt thou ensure peace, nor buffet with the waters of con- 
tention, 

Wilt thou be counted wise and gain the love of men, 

Let unobtruded error escape the frown of censure. 

Nor lift the glass of truth alway before thy fellows : 

I say not, compromise the right, I would not have thee coun- 
tenance the wrong, 

But hear with charitable heart the reasons of an honest 
judgment ; 

For thou also hast erred, and knowest not when thou art 
most right ; 

Nor whether to-morrow's wisdom may not prove thee simple 
to-day ; 

Perchance thou art chiding in another what once thou wast 
thyself; 

Perchance thou sharply reprovest what thou wilt be hereaf- 
ter. 

A man that can render a reason, is a man worthy of an an- 
swer ; 

But he that argueth for victory, deserveth not the tenderness 
of Truth. 



Whiles a man liveth he may mend : count not thy brother 

reprobate ; 
When he is dead his chance is gone ; remember not his faults 

in bitterness. 
A man till he dieth is immortal in thy sight ; and then he is 

as nothing. 

15* 



174 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 

Make not the living thy foe, nor take weak vengeance of the 
(lead ; 

For life is as a game of chess, vv^here least caiiseth greatest, 

And an ill move bringeth loss, and a pawn may insure vic- 
tory. 

Dost thou suspect 1 seek out certainty : for now, by self- 
inflicted pain, 

Or ill-directed wrath, thou wrongest thyself or thy neigh- 
bor: 

Suspicion is an early lesson, taught in the school of expe- 
rience, 

Neither shalt thou easily unlearn it, though charity ply thee 
with her preaching ; 

Yet look thou well for reasons, or ever mistrust hath marred 
thee. 

Or fear curdled thy blood, or jealousy goaded thee to mad- 
ness : 

For a look, or a word, or an act, may be taken weU or ill, 

As construed by the latitude of love, or the closeness of cold 
suspicion. 

Better is the wrong with sincerity, rather than the right 
with falsehood : 

And a prudent man will not lay siege to the stronghold of 
ignorant bigotry. 

To unsettle a weak mind were an easy, inglorious triumph. 

And a strong cause taketh little count of the worthless suf- 
frage of a fool : 

Lightly he held to the wrong, loosely will he cling to right ; 

Weakness is the essence of his mind, and the reed cannot 
yield an acorn. 

Dogged obstinacy is oftentimes the buttress that proppeth an 
unstable spirit, 

But a candid man blusheth not to own he is wiser to-day 
than yesterday. 

A man of a little wisdom is a sage among fools ; 



SERIES I.J 



OF TOLERANCE. 



175 



But himself is chief among the fools, if he look for admi- 
ration from them. 

A heresy is an evil thing, for its shame is its pride : 

Its necessary difference of error is the character it most 
esteemeth : 

Give a man all things short of liberty, thou shalt have no 
thanks, 

And little wilt thou speed with thine opponent, by proving 
points he will concede. 

The tost sand darkeneth the waves ; and clear had been the 
pages of truth, 

Had not the glosses of men obscured the simplicity of faith' 

In all things consider thine own ignorance, and gladly take 
occasion to be taught ; 

But suffer not excess of liberality to neutralize thy mental 
independence. 

The faults and follies of most men make their deaths a gain ; 

But thou also art a man, full of faults and follies ; 

Therefore sorrow for the dead, or none shall weep for thee, 

For the measure of charity thou dealest, shall be poured into 
thine own bosom. 

That which vexeth thee now, provoking thee to hate thy 
brother. 

Bear with it ; the annoyance passeth, and may not return 
for ever : 

The same combinations and results which aggravate thy 
soul to-day, 

May not meet again for centuries in the kaleidoscope of cir- 
cumstance ; 

For men and matters change, new elements mixing in con- 
tinually. 

And, as with chemical magic, the sour is transmuted into 
sweetness, 

A little explained, a little endured, a little passed over as a 
foible. 

And, lo, the jagged atoms fit like smooth mosaic. 



176 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



Thou canst not shape another*s mind to suit thine own body, 
Think not, then, to be furnishing his brain with thy special 

notions. 
Charity walketh with a high step, and stumbleth not at a 

trifle : 
Charity hath keen eyes, but the lashes half conceal them : 
Charity is praised of all and fear not thou that praise, 
God will not love thee less because men love thee more.(38) 

OF SORROW. 



I SAID, I will seek out sorrow,, and minister the balm of pity : 
So I sought her in the house of mourning ; but peace follow- 
ed in her train. 
Then I marked her brooding silently in the gloomy caverns 

of Regret ; 
But a sunbeam of heavenly hope gleamed on her folded 

wing. 
So I turned to the cabin of the poor, where famine dwelt with 

disease ; 
But the bed of the sick was smoothed, and the ploughman 

whistled at his labor. 
So I stopped and mused within myself, to remember where 

sorrow dwelt. 
For I sought to see her alone, uncomforted, uncompanioned. 
I went to the prison, but penitence was there, and promise of 

better times ; 
I listened at the madman's cell, but it echoed with deluded 

laughter. 
Then I turned me to the rich and noble ; I noted the sons of 

fashion : 
A smile was on the languid cheek, that had no commerce 

with the heart; 
Unhallowed thoughts, like fires, gleamed from the window 

of the eye, 



SERIES I.] ^ OF SORROW. 177 

And sorrow lived with those whose pleasures add unto their 
sins. 

His infancy wanted not guilt ; his life was continued evil ; 
He drew in pride with his mother's milk, and a father's lips 

taught him cursing. 
I marked him as the wayward boy ; I traced the dissolute 

youth : 
I saw him betray the innocent, and sacrifice affection to his 

lust. 
I saw him the companion of knaves, and a squanderer of ill- 
got gain, 
I heard him curse his own misery, while he hugged the 

chains that galled him : 
For well had experience declared the bitterness of guilty 

pleasure. 
But habit, with its iron net, involved him in its folds. 
Behind him lowered the thunder-storm, which the caldron 

of his wickedness had brewed ; 
Before him was the smooth steep cliff, whose base is ruin 

and despair. 
So he rushed madly on, and tried to forget his being : 
The noisy revel and the low debauch, and fierce excitement 

of play. 
With dreary interchange of palling pleasures, filled the dull 

round of existence ; 
Memory was to him as a foe, so he flew for false solace to 

the wine cup, 
And stunned his enemy at even, but she rent him as a giant 

in the morning. 

I TURNED aside to weep ; I lost him a little while : 

I looked, years had past : he was hoar with the winter of 

his age. 
And what was now his hope 1 where was the balm for his 

sadness 1 



178 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY^ [series x. 

The memory of the past was guilt ; the feeling of the pre- 
sent, remorse. 

Then he set his affections on gold, he worshipped the shrine 
of Mammon, 

And to lay richer gifts before his idol, he starved his own 
bowels ; 

So, the youth spent in profligacy ended in the gripings of 
want: 

The miser grudged himself husks to take deeper vengeance 
of the prodigal. 

And I said, this is sorrow ; but pity cannot reach it. 

This is to be wretched indeed, to be guilty without repent- 
ance. 

OF JOY. 

My soul was sickened within me, so I sought the dwelling- 
place of Joy : 
And I met it not in laughter ; I found it not in wealth or 

power ; 
But I saw it in the pleasant home, where religion smiled 

upon content, 
And the satisfied ambition of the heart rejoiced in the favor 

of its God. 
Behold the happy man, his face is rayed with pleasure. 
His thoughts are of calm delight, and none can know his 

blessedness : 
I have watched him from his infancy, and seen him in the 

grasp of death, 
Yet never have I noted on his brow the cloud of desponding 

sorrow. 
He hath knelt beside his cradle ; his mother's hymn lulled 

him to sleep : 
In childhood he hath loved holiness, and drank from that 

fountain-head of peace. 
Wisdom took him for her scholar, guiding his steps in purity : 



SERIES I.] 



OF JOY. 



179 



He lived unpolluted by the world ; and his young heart hated 

sin. 
But he owned not the spurious religion engendered of faction 

and morosen«ss, 
Neither were the sproutings of his soul seared by the brand 

of superstition. 
His love is pure and single, sincere, and knoweth not change : 
For his manhood has been blessed with the pleasant choice 

of his youth : 
Behold his one beloved, she leaneth on his arm, 
And he looketh on the years that are past, to review the 

dawn of her affection. 
Memory is sweet unto him as a perfect landscape to the sight ; 
Each object is lovely in itself, but the whole is the harmony 

of nature. 
Behold his little ones around him, they bask in the warmth 

of his smile ; 
And infant innocence and joy lighten their happy faces ; 
He is holy, and they honor him ; he is loving, and they love 

him 
He is consistent, and they esteem him ; he is firm, and they 

fear him. 
His friends are the excellent among men ; and the bands of 

their friendship are strong ; 
His house is the palace of peace : for the Prince of Peace is 

there. 
As the wearied man to his couch, as the thoughtful man to 

his musings. 
Even so, from the bustle of life, he goeth to his well-ordered 

home. 
And though he often sin, he returneth with weeping eyes : 
For he feeleth the mercies of forgiveness, and gloweth with 

warmer gratitude. 



Thus did he walk in happiness, and sorrow was a stranger 
to his soul ; 



180 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



The light of affection sunned his heart, the tear of the grate- 
ful bedewed his feet, 
He put his hand with constancy to good, and angels knew 

him as a brother, 
And the busy satellites of evil ti-embled as at God's ally : 
He used his wealth as a wise steward, making him friends 

for futurity ; 
He bent his learning to religion, and religion was with him 

at the last ; 
For I saw him after many days, when the time of his release 

was come, 
And I longed for a congregated world, to behold that dying 

saint. 
As the aloe is green and well-liking, till the last best summer 

of its age. 
And then hangeth out its golden bells to mingle glory with 

corruption ; 
As a meteor travelleth in splendor, but bursteth in dazzUng 

light; 
Such was the end of the righteous : his death was the sun 

at his setting. 



Look on this picture of joy, and remember that portrait of 
sorrow : 

Behold the beauty of holiness, behold the deformity of 
sin : 

How long, ye sons of men, will ye scorn the words of wis- 
dom ? 

How long will ye hunt for happiness in the caverns that 
breed despair 1 

Will ye comfort yourselves in misery, by denying the exist- 
ence of delight. 

And from experience in woe, will ye reason that none are 
happy 1 

Joy is not in your path, for it loveth not that bleak broad 
road, 



SERIES I.J OF JOY. 181 

But its flowers are hung upon the hedges that line a narrower 
way ; 

And there the faint travellers of earth may wander and 
gather for themselves, 

To soothe their wounded hearts with balm from the ama- 
ranths of heaven 

16 



PEOVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. 

SECOND SEEIES. 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. 



INTRODUCTORY. 

Come again, and greet me, as a friend, fellow-pilgrim upon 
life's higliway, 

Leave awhile the hot and dusty road, to loiter in the green- 
wood of Reflection. 

Come, unto my cool dim grotto, that is watered by the rivulet 
of truth. 

And over whose time-stained rock climb the fairy flowers 
of content: 

Here, upon this mossy bank of leisure, fling thy load of 
cares, 

Taste my simple store, and rest one soothing hour. 

Behold, I would count thee for a brother, and commune 

with thy charitable soul ; 
Though wrapped within the mantle of a prophet, I stand 

mine own weak scholar. 
Heed no disciple for a teacher, if kijiowledge be not found 

upon his tongue ; 
For vanity and folly were, the lessons these lips untaught 

could give : 
The precious staple of my merchandise cometh from a better 

comntry, 
The harvest of my reaping sprang of foreign seed ; 
And this poor pensioner of mercy — should he boast of merit 1 
16* 



186 



INTRODUCTORY. 



[series II. 



The grafted stock, — should that be proud of apples not its 

own 1 
Into the bubbling brook I dip my hermit shell ; 
Man receiveth as a cup, but Wisdom is the river. 

Moreover, for this filagree of fancy, this Oriental garnish of 

similitude. 
Alas, the world is old, — and all things old within it : 
I walk a trodden path, I love the good old ways ; 
Prophets, and priests, and kings have tuned the harp I 

faintly touch. 
Truth in a garment of the past, is my choice and simple 

theme ; 
No truth is new to-day ; and the mantle was another's. 

Still, there is an insect swarm, the buzzing cloud of imagery, 

Mote-like streaming on my sight, and thronging my reluctant 
mind; 

The memories of studious cullings, and multiplied analo- 
gies of nature. 

Fresh leelings unrepressed, welling from the heart spontane- 
ous, 

Facts, and comparisons, and meditative atoms, gathered on 
the heap of combination, 

Mingle in the fashion of my speech with gossamer dreams 
of Reverie. 

I need not beat the underwood for game ; my pheasants flock 
upon the lawn. 

And gambolling hares disport fearless in my dewy field ; 

I roam no heath-empurpled hills, wearily watching for a 
covey. 

But thoughts fly swift to my decoy, eager to be caught ; 

I sit no quiet angler, lingering patiently for sport, 

But spread my nets for a draught, and take the glittering 
shoal ; 

I chase no solitary stag, tracking it with breathless toil, 



SERIES II. J 



INTRODUCTORY. 



187 



But hunt with Aureng-zebe, and spear surrounded thou- 
sands ! (1) 

What then, — count ye this a boast 1 — sweet charity think it 
other, 

For the dog-fish and poisonous ray are captured in the mul- 
let-haul : 

The crane and the kite are of my thoughts, alike with the 
partridge and the quail, 

And unclean meats as of the clean hang upon my Seric 
shambles. 

— How, saith'he ? shall a man deceive, dressing up his jackal 
as a lion ? 

Or color in staid hues of fact the changing vest of false- 
hood ?— 

Brother, unwittingly he may; doubtless, unwillingly he 
doth: 

For men are full of fault, and how should he be righteous ? 

Carefully my garden hath been weeded, yet shall it be foul 
with thistle ; 

My grapery is diligently thinned, and yet many berries will 
be sour: 

From my nets have I flung the bad away, to my small skill 
and caution : 

Yet may some slimy snake have counted for an eel. 

The rudder of man's best hopes cannot always steer himself 
from error ; 

The arrow of man's straightest aim flieth short of truth. 

Thus, the confession of sincerity visit not as if it were pre- 
sumption; 

Nor own me for a leader, where thy reason is not guide. 



188 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series li. 



OF CHEERFULNESS. 

Take courage, prisoner of time, for there be many comforts, 
Cease thy labor in the pit, and bask awhile with truants in 

the sun ; 
Be cheerful, man of care, for great is the multitude of chances, 
Burst thy fetters of anxiety, and walk among the citizens of 

ease. 
Wherefore dost thou doubt 1 if present good is round thee, 
It may be well to look for change, but to trust in a continu- 
ance is better ; , 
Whilst, at the crisis of adversity, to hope for some amends 

were wisdom. 
And cheerfully to bear thy cross in patient strength is duty. 
I speak of common troubles, and the petty plagues of life, 
The phantom-spies of Unbelief, that lurk about his outposts : 
Sharp suspicion, dull distrust, and sullen stern moroseness, 
Are captains in that locust swarm to lead the cloudy host. 
Thou hast need of fortitude and faith, for the adversaries 

come on thickly, 
And he that fled hath added wings to his pursuing foes ; 
Fight them, and the cravens flee ; thy boldness is their panic ; 
Fear them, and thy treacherous heart hath lent the ranks a 

legion : 
Among their shouts of victory resoundeth the wail of Hera- 

clitus. 
While Democrite, confident and cheerful, hath plucked up 

the standard of their camp. (2) 



Not few nor light are the burdens of life ; then load it not 

with heaviness of spirit ; 
Sicknesses, and penury, and travail, — there be real ills enow : 
We are wandering benighted, with a waning moon ; plunge 

not rashly into jungles. 



SERIES II.] 



OF CHEERFULNESS. 



189 



Where cold and poisonous damps will quench the torch of 

hope ; 
The tide is strong against us ; good oarsmen, pull or perish, — 
If your arms be slack for fear, ye shall not stem the torrent. 
A wise traveller goeth on cheerily, through fair weather or 

foul ; 
He knoweth that his journey must be sped, so he carrieth his 

sunshine with him. 
Calamities came not as a curse, — nor prosperity for other 

than a trial ; 
Struggle, — thou art better for the strife, and the very energy 

shall hearten thee. 
Good is taught in a Spartan school, — hard lessons and a 

rough discipline, 
But evil Cometh idly of itself, in the luxury of Capuan holi- 
days ; 
And wisdom will go bravely forth to meet the chastening 

scourge, 
Enduring with a thankful heart that punishment of Love. 



There be three chief rivers of despondency ; sin, sorrow, fear ; 
Sin is the deepest, sorrow hath its shallows, and fear is a 

noisy rapid : 
But even to the darkest holes in guilt's profoundest river 
Hope can pierce with quickening ray, and all those depths 

are lightened. 
So long as there is mercy in a God, hope is the privilege of 

creatures, 
And so soon as there is penitence in creatures, that hope is 

exalted into duty. 
Verily consider this for courage ; that the fearful and the 

unbelieving 
Are classed with idolaters and liars, because they trusted 

not in God : (3) 
For it is no other than selfish sin, a hard and proud ingrati- 
tude. 



190 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Where seeming repentance is herald of despair, instead of 
hope's forerunner. 

Moreover, in thy day of Grief, — for friends, or fame, or for- 
tune, 
Well I wot the heart shall ache, and mind be numbed in 

torpor : 
Let nature weep ; leave her alone ; the freshet of her sorrow 

must run off; 
And sooner will the lake be clear, relieved of turbid floodings. 
Yet see that her license hath a limit ; with the novelty her 

agony is over; 
Hasten in that earliest calm, to tie her in the leash with 

Reason. 
For regrets are an enervating folly, and the season for energy 

is come. 
Yea rather, that the future may repair with diligence the 

ruins of the past. 



Again, for empty fears, the harassings of possible calamity ; 
Pray, and thou shalt prosper ; trust in God, and tread them 

down. 
Yield to the phantasy, — thou sinnest ; resist it, He will aid 

thee : 
Out of Him there is no help, nor any sober courage. 
Feeble is the comfort of the faithless, a man without a God ; 
Who dare counsel such an one to fling away his fears 1 
Fear is the heritage of him, a portion wise and merciful. 
To drive the trembler into safety, if haply he may turn and 

flee: 
Nevertheless, let him reckon an he will, that all he counteth 

casual 
May as well be for him as against him : dice have many 

sides. 
And, even as in ailments of the body, diseases follow closely 

upon dreads. 



SERIES II.] OF CHEERFULNESS. 



191 



So, with infirmities of mind, is fear the pallid harbinger of 

failure. 
It were wise to talk undaunted even in an accidental chaos, 
For the brave man is at peace and free to get the mastery of 

circumstance. 
The stoutest armor of defence is that which is worn within 

the bosom, 
And the weapon that no enemy can parry, is a bold and 

cheerfi^l spirit : 
Catapults in old war worked like Titans, crushing foes with 

rocks ; 
So doth a strong-springed heart throw back every load on its 

assailants. 



I WENT heavily for cares, and fell into the trance of sorrow : 

And behold, a vision in my trance, and my ministering angel 
brought it. 

There stood a mountain huge and steep, the awful Rock of 
Ages; 

The sun upon its summit, and storms midway, and deep ra- 
vines at foot, 

And, as I looked, a dense black cloud, suddenly dropping from 
the thunder. 

Filled, like a cataract with yeasty foam, a narrow smiling 
valley : 

Close and hard that vaporous mass seemed to press the 
ground, 

And lament?ible sounds came up, as of some that were smo- 
thering beneath. 

Then, as I walked upon the mountain, clear in summer's 
noon. 

For charity I called aloud. Ho ! climb up hither to the sun- 
shine. 

And even like a stream of light my voice had pierced the 
mist ; 



192 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series u. 



I saw below two families of men, and knew their names of 

old; 
Courage, struggling through the darkness, stout of heart and 

gladsome. 
Ran up the shining ladder which the voice of hope had 

made: 
And tripping lightly by his side, a sweet-eyed helpmate with 

him, 
I looked upon her face to welcome pleasant Cheerfulness ; 
And a babe was cradled in her bosom, a laughing little 

prattler. 
The child of Cheerfulness and Courage, — could his name be 

other than Success 1 
So, from his happy wife, when they both stood beside me on 

the mountain. 
The fond father took that babe, and set him on his shoulder 

in the sunshine. 

Again I peered into the valley, for I heard a gasping moan, 

A desolate weak cry, as muffled in the vapors. 

So down that crystal shaft into the poisonous mine 

I sped for charity to seek and save, — and those I sought fled 

from me. 
At length, I spied far distant, a trembling withered dwarf, 
Who crouched beneath the cloak of a tail and spectral 

mourner ; 
Then I knew Cowardice and Gloom, and followed them on 

in darkness. 
Guided by their rustling robes and moans and muffled cries, 
Until in a suffocating pit the wretched pair had i)erished,— 
And io, their whitening bones were shaping out an epitaph 

of Failure. 



So I saw that despondency was death, and flung my burdens 
from me, 



SERIES ii.J OF YESTERDAY. 193 

And, lightened by that effort, I was raised above the world ; 
Yea, in the strangeness of my vision, I seemed to soar on 

wings. 
And the names they called my wings were Cheerfulness and 

Wisdom. 



OF YESTERDAY. 

Speak, poor almsman of to-day, whom none can assure of a 

to-morrow, 
Tell out, with honest heart, the price thou settest upon yes- 
terday. 
Is it then a writing in the dust, traced by the finger of idle- 
ness. 
Which Industry, clean housewife, can wipe away for 

ever? 
Is it as a furrow on the sand, fashioned by the toying waves, 
Quickly to be trampled then again by the feet of the return- 
ing tide 1 
Is it as the pale blue smoke, rising from a peasant's hovel, 
That melted into limpid air, before it topped the larches ? 
Is it but a vision, unstable and unreal, which wise men soon 

forget 1 
Is it as the stranger of the night, — gone, we heed not whither 1 
Alas ! thou foolish heart, whose thoughts are but as these, 
Alas ! deluded soul, that hopeth thus of Yesterday. 

For, behold, — those temples of Ellora, the Brahmin's rock- 
built shrine. 
Behold, — yon granite cliff, which the North Sea buffeteth in 

vain, — 
That stout old forest fir, — these waking verities of life, — 
This guest abiding ever, not strange, nor a servant, but a son, — 
Such, O man, are vanity and dreams, transient as a rainbow 
on the cloud, 

17 



194 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Weighed against that solid fact, thine ill-remembered Yes- 
terday. 

Come, let me show thee an ensample, where Nature shall 

instruct us ; 
Luxuriantly the arguments for truth spring native in her gar- 
dens. 
Seek we yonder woodman of the plain ; he is measuring his 

axe to the elm, 
And anon the sturdy strokes ring upon the wintry air: 
Eagerly the village schoolboys cluster on the tightened rope, 
Shouting, and bending to the pull, or lifted from the ground 

elastic ; 
The huge tree boweth like Sisera, boweth to its foes with 

faintness, — 
Its sinews crack, — deep groans declare the reeling anguish 

of Goliath, 
The wedge is driven home, — and the saw is at its heart, — 

and lo, with solemn slowness. 
The shuddering monarch riseth from his throne, — toppled 

with a crash, — and is fallen ! 

Now, shall the mangled stump teach proud man a lesson ; 

Now, can we from that elm-tree's sap distil the wine of 
Truth. 

Heed ye those hundred rings, concentric from the core, 

Eddying in various waves to the red bark's shore-like rim; 

These be the gathering of yesterdays, present all to-day, 

This is the tree's judgment, self-history that cannot be gain- 
said: 

Seven years agone there was a drought, — and the seventh 
ring is narrowed ; 

The fifth from hence was half a deluge, — the fifth was cellu- 
lar &nd bro^id. 

Thus, Man, thou art a result, the growth of many yester- 
days, 



SERIES II.] 



OF YESTERDAY. 



195 



Thnt st^mp thy secret soul with marks of weal or woe ; 

Thou art an almanac of self, the living record of thy deeds ; 

Spirit hath its scars as well as body, sore and aching in their 
season : 

Here is a knot, — it was a crime ; there is a canker, — selfish- 
ness ; 

Lo, here, the heart-wood rotten ; lo, there, perchance, the 
sap-wood sound. 

Nature teacheth not in vain ; thy work.: are in thee, of thee ; 

Some present evil bent hUh grown of older errors: 

And wh;;it if thou be walking now uprightly 1 Salve not thy 
wounds with poison, 

As if a petty goodness of to-day hath blotted out the sin of yes- 
terday : 

It is well, thou hast life and light ; and the Hewer showeth 
mercy. 

Dressing the root, pruning the branch, and looking for thy 
tardy fruits ; 

But, even here, as thou standest, cheerful belike and careless, 

The stains of ancient evil are upon thee, the record of thy 
wrong is in thee : 

For, a curie of rnany yesterdays is thine, many yesterdays 
of sin, 

That, haply little heeded now, shall blast thy many mor- 
rows. 



Shall, then, a man reck nothing, but hurl mad defiance at 

his Judge, 
Knowing that less than an omnipotent cannot make the has 

been, not been 1 
He ought, — so Satan spake ; he must, — so Atheism urgeth ; 
He m ly, it was the libertine's thought ; he doth, — the bad 

world said it. 
But thou of humbler heart, thou student wiser for simplicity. 
While nature warneth thee betimes, heed the loving counsel 

of Religion. 



J 96 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series n. 



True, this change is good, and penitence most precious ; 
But trust not thou thy change, nor rest upon repentance ; 
For all we are corrupted at the core, smooth as surface 

seemeth ; 
What health can bloom in a beautiful skin, when rottenness 

hath fed upon the bones ? 
And guilt is parcel of us all ; not thou, sweet nurseling of 

affection, 
Art spotless, though so passing fair, — nor thou, mild patriarch 

of virtue. 



Behold, then, the better Tree of Life, free unto us all for 
grafting. 

Cut thee from the hollow root of self, to be budded on a richer 
Vine. 

Be desperate, O man, as of evil, so of good : tear that tunic 
from thee ; 

The past can never be retrieved, be the present what it may. 

Vain is the penance and the scourge, vain the fast and vigil ; 

The fencer's cautious skill to-day, can this erase his scars ? 

It is Man's to famish as a faquir, it is Man's to die a devotee. 

Light is the torture and the toil, balanced with the wages of 
Eternity : 

But it is God's to yearn in love on the humblest, the poorest, 
and the worst. 

For he giveth freely, as a King, asking only thanks for mercy. 

Look upon this noble-hearted Substitute ; seeing thy woes, 
he pitied thee. 

Bowed beneath the mountain of thy sin, and perished, — but 
for Godhead ; 

There stood the Atlas in his power, and Prometheus in his 
love is there. 

Emptying on wretched men the blessings earned from hea- 
ven : 

Put them not away, hide them in thy heart, poor and peni- 
tent receiver, 



SKRIES II. J 



OF YESTERDAY. 



197 



Be gratitude thy counseller to good, and wholesome fear unto 

obedience : 
Remember, the pruning-knife is keen, cutting cankers even 

from the vine : 
Remember, twelve were chosen, and one among them liveth 

— in perdition. 

Yea, — for standing unatoned, the soul is a bison on the 
prairie, 

Hunted by those trooping wolves, the many sinful yesterdays ; 

And it speedeth a terrified Deucalion, flinging back the pebble 
in his flight, 

The pebble that must add one more to those pursuing 
ghosts, (i) 

O man, there is a storm behind, should drive thy bark to 
haven ; 

The foe, the foe is on thy track, patient, certain, and aveng- 
ing; 

Day by day, solemnly and silently, followeth the fearful 
past, — 

His step is lame but sure ; for he catcheth the present in 
eternity : 

And how to escape that foe, the present-past in future 7 

How to avert that fate, living consequence of causes unex- 
istent 1— 

Boldly we must overleap his birth, and date above his memo- 
ries, 

Grafted on the living Tree that was before a yesterday ; 

No refuge of a younger birth than one that saw ere ition 

Cm hide the child of time from still condemning yesterday. 

There is the sanctuary-city, mocking at the wrath of thine 
Avenger; 

Close at hand, with its wicket on the latch ; haste for thy 
life, poor hunted one ! 

The gladiator. Guilt, fighteth as of old, armed with net and 

dagger ; 

]7* 



198 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Snaring in the mesh of yesterdays, stabbing with the poniard 

of to-day : 
Fly, thy sword is broken at the hilt; fly, thy shield is 

shivered, 
Leap the barriers and baffle him : the arena of the past is 

his. 
The bounds of Guilt are the cycles of Time ; thou must be 

safe within Eternity ; 
The arms of God alone shall rescue thee from Yesterday. 



OF TO-DAY. 

Now, is the constant syllable ticking from the clock of time. 
Now, is the watchword of the wise, Now, is on the banner 

of the prudent. 
Cherish thy to-day and prize it well, or ever it be gulfed into 

the past, 
Husband it, for who can promise if it shall have a morrow 1 
Behold thou art, — it is enough ; that present care be thine ; 
Leave thou the past to thy Redeemer, intrust the future to 

thy Friend ; 
But for to-day, child of man, tend thon charily the miDiites, 
The harvest of thy yesterday, the seed-corn of thy morrow. 



Last night died its day ; and the deeds thereof were judged . 

Thou didst lay thee down as in a shroud, in darkness and 
deathlike slumber ; 

But at the trumpet of this morn, waking the world to resm-- 
rection. 

Thou didst arise, like others, to live a new day's life ; 

Fear, lest folly give thee cause to mourn its passing pre- 
sence. 

Fear, that to-morrow's sigh be not, would God it had not 
dawned • 



SERIES II.J 



OF TO-DAY. 



199 



For, To-day the lists are set, and thou must bear thee 

br;vvely, 
Tilting for honor, duty, life, or death without reproach ; 
To-diy, is the trial of thy fortitude, O dauntless Mandan 

chief; 
To-day, is thy watch, O sentinel; to-day thy reprieve, O 

cnptive ; 
What more ? to-d ly is the golden chance wherewith to 

snatch fruition, — 
Be glad, griiteful, temperate : there are asps among the figs. 
For the potter's clay is in thy hands, — to mould it or to mar 

it at thy will. 
Or idly to leave it in the sun, an uncouth lump to harden. 

BRIGHT presence of To-day, let me wrestle with thee, gra- 

cious anirel, 

1 will not let thee go, except thou bless me : bless me then 

To-day : 
O sweet garden of To-day, let me gather of thee, precious 

Eden, 
r have stolen bitter knowledge, give me fruits of life To-day : 

true temple of To-day, let me worship in thee, glorious 

Zion ; 

1 find none other place, nor time, than where I am To-day : 

living rescue of To-day, let me run into thee, ark of refuge ; 

1 see none other hope nor chance, but standeth in To-day: 

rich bir.qnet of To-day, let me feast upon thee, saving 

manna : 

1 have none other food nor store, but daily bread To-day ! 



Behold, thou art pilot of the ship, and owner of that freight- 
ed galleon. 

Competent, with all thy weakness, to steer in safety or to be 
loit : 

Compass and chart are in thy hand: roadstead and rocks 
thou knowest ; 



200 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Thou art warned of reefs and shallows ; thou beholdest the 
harbor and its lights. 

What 1 shall thy wantonness or sloth drive the gallant vessel 
on the breakers 1 

What 1 shall the helmsman's hand wear upon the black lee- 
shore 1 

Vain is that excuse ; thou canst escape : thy mind is respon- 
sible for wrong : 

Vain that murmur ; thou may'st live ; thy soul is debtor 
for the right. 

To-day, in the voyage of thy life down the dark tide of timei 

Stand boldly to thy tiller, guide thee by the pole-star and be 
safe ; 

To-day, passing near the sunken rocks, the quicksands and 
whirlpools of probation, 

Leave awhile the rudder to swing round, give the wind its 
heading, and be wrecked. 



The crisis of man's destiny is Now, a still recurring danger : 
Who can tell the trials and temptations coming with the 

coming hour ? 
Thou standest a target-like Sebastian, and the arrows whistle 

near thee : 
Who knoweth when he may hit ? for great is the company 

of archers. 
Each breath is burdened with a bidding, and every minute 

hath its mission ; 
For spirits, good and bad, cluster on the thickly-peopled air : 
Sin may bl ist thee, grace may bless thee, good or ill this 

hour : 
Chance, and change, and doubt, and fear, are pirasites of all. 
A man's life is a tower, with a staircase of mtny steps. 
That, as he toileth upward, crumble successively behind 

him: 
No going back, the past is an abyss ; no stopping, for the 

present perisheth ; 



SERIES II j 



OF TO-MORROW. 



201 



But ever hasting on, precarious on the foothold of To-day. 

Our cires are <m11 To-day, our joys are all To-day ; 

And in one little word, our life, what is it, but — To-day"? 



OF TO-MORROW. 



There is a flor^ting Island, forward, on the stream of time, 
Buoyant With ferinenti.ig air, and borne along the rapids; 
'And on th;tt island is a siren, singing sweetly as she goeth. 
Her eyes Hre bright with invitation, and allurement lurketh 

in her cheeks ; 
Many lovers v.iialy pursuing, follow her beckoning finger, 
Many lovers seek her still, even to the catamct of death. 
To-morrow is that island, a Viun and foolish heritage. 
And, hiughing with seductive lips, Delusion hideth there. 
Often, the precious present ij wasted in visions of the future, 
And coy To-murrow cometh not with prophecies fulfilled. 

There is a fairy skiff, plying on the sea of life, 

And charitably toiling still to save the shipwrecked crews ; 

Within, kindly patient, sitteth a gentle mariner, 

Piloting, through surf and striit, the fragile barks of men: 

How cheering is her voice, how skilfully she guideth. 

How nobly leading onward yet, defying even death ! 

To-morrow is that skiff, a wise and welcome rescue, 

And, full of gladdeniiig words and looks, that- mariner is 

Hope. 
Often, the painful present is comforted by flattering the 

future. 
And kind to-morrow beareth half the burdens of To-day. 

To-MORRow, whispereth weakness ; and To-morrow findeth 

him the weaker ; 
To-morrow, promiseth conscience ; and behold, no to-day for 

a fulfilment. 



202 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



O name of bappy omen unto youth, O bitter word of terror 

to the4ot'drd, 
Goal of folly's lazy wish, and sorrow's ever-coming friend, 
Fraud's loophole, — caution's hint, — and trap to catch the 

honest, — 
Thou wealth to many poor, disgrace to many noble. 
Thou hope and fear, thou weal and woe, thou remedy, thou 

ruin, 
How thickly swarms of thought are clustering round To- 
morrow. 
The hive of memory increaseth, to every day its cell ; 
There is the labor stored, the honey or corruption ; 
Each morn the bees fly forth, to fill the growing comb, 
And levy golden tribute of the uncomplaining flowers : 
To-morrow is their care ; they toil for rest To-morrow ; 
But man deferreth duty's task, and loveth ease to-day. 

To-MORRow is that lamp upon the marsh, which a traveller 
never reacheth ; 

To-morrow, the rainbow's cup, coveted prize of ignorance; 

To-morrow, the shifting anchorage, dangerous trust of 
mariners ; 

To-morrow, the wrecker's beacon, wily snare of the de- 
stroyer. 

Reconcile conviction with delay, and To-morrow is a fatal lie ; 

Frighten resolutions into action. To-morrow is a wholesome 
truth : 

[ must, for I fear To-morrow ; this is the Cassava's food ; 

Why should 1 1 let me trust To-morrow, — this is the Cas- 
sava's poison. 



Lo, it is the even of To-day, — a day so lately a To-morrow ; 
Where are those high resolves, those hopes of yesternight ? 
O faint fond heart, still shall thy whisper be, To-morrow, 
And must the growing avalanche of sin roll down that easy 
slope 1 



SERIES ii.J OF TO-MORROW. 203 

Alas, it is ponderous, and moving on in might, that a Sisyphus 

may not stop it ; 
But haste thee with the lever of a prayer, and stem its strength 

To-day : 
For its race may speedily be run, and this poor hut, thyself. 
Be whelmed in death and suffocating guilt, that dreary Alpine 

snow wreath. 

Pensioner of life, be wise, and heed a brother's counsel, 

I also am a beadsman, with scrip and staff as thou : 

Wouldest thou be bold against the past, and all its evil 
memories, 

Wouldest thou be safe amid the present, its dangers and 
temptations, 

Wouldest thou be hopeful of the future, vague though it be 
and endless 1 

Haste thee, repent, believe, obey ! thou standest in the cou- 
rage of a legion : 

Commend the Past to God, with all its irrevocable harm. 

Humbly, but in cheerful trust, and banish vain regrets ; 

Come to him, continually come, casting all the Present at his 
feet, 

Boldly, but in prayerful love, and fling off selfish cares ; 

Commit the Future to his will, the viewless fated Future ; 

Zealously go forward with integrity, and God will bless thy 
faith. 

For that, feeble as thou art, there is with thee a mighty Con- 
queror, 

Thy friend, the same for ever, yesterday, to-day, and to-mor- 
row; 

That friend, changeless as eternity, himself shall make thee 
friends 

Of those thy foes transformed, yesterday, to-day, and to- 
morrow. 



204 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



OF AUTHORSHIP. 



Great is the dignity of Authorship: I magnify mine office; 
Albeit in much feebleness I hold it thus unworthily. 
For it is to be one of a noble band, the welfare of the world, 
Whose hiumt is on the lips of men, whose dwelling in their 

hearts, 
Wlio are precious in the retrospect of Memory, and walk 

among the visions of Hope, 
Who commune with the good for everlasting, and call the 

wisest, brother. 
Whose voice hath burst the Silence, and whose light is flung 

upon the Darkness, 
— Flashing jewels on a robe of black, and harmony bounding 

out of chaos, — 
Who gladden empires with their wisdom, and bless to the 

furthest generation. 
Doers of illimitable good, gainers of inestimable glory ! 
We speak but of the Magnates, we heed none humbler than 

the highest, 
We take no count of sorry scribes, nor waste one thought 

upon the groundlings ; 
Our eyes are lifted from the multitude, groping in the dark 

with candles. 
To gaze upon that firmament of praise, the constellated lamps 

of learning. 
Everduring witnesses of Mind, undisputed evidence of Power, 
Goodly volumes, living stones, build up their author's temple ; 
Though of low estate, his rank is above ^inces, — though 

needy, he hath worship of the rich, 
When Genius unfurleth on the winds his banner as a mighty 

leader. 
Just in purpose, and self-possessed in soul, lord of many ta- 
lents, 



SERIES II.] 



OF AUTHORSHIP. 



205 



The mental Croesus goeth forth, rejoicing in his wealth ; 

Keen and clear perception gloweth on his forehead like a 
sunbeam, 

He readeth men at a glance, and mists roll away before him ; 

The wise have set him as their captain, the foolish are re- 
buked at his presence. 

The excellent bless him with their prayers, and the wicked 
praise him by their curses ; 

His voice, mighty in operation, stirreth up the world as a 
trumpet. 

And kings account it honor to be numbered of his friends. 



Rare is .the worthiness of Authorship : I justify mine office ; 

Albeit fancies weak as mine credit not the calling. 

For it addeth immortality to dying facts, that are ready to 
vanish away. 

Embalming as in amber the poor insects of an hour ; 

Shedding upon stocks and stones the tender light of interest, 

And illumining dark places of the earth, with radiance of 
classic lustre. 

It hath power to make past things present, and availeth for 
the present in the future, 

Delivering thoughts, and words, and deeds, from the outer 
darkness of oblivion : 

Where are the sages and the heroes, giants of old time 1 — 

Where are the mighty kings that reigned before Agamem- 
non 1 — 

Alas, they lie unwept, unhonored, hidden in the midnight : 

Alas, for they died unchronicled : their memorial perished 
with them. 

Where are the nobles of Nineveh, and mitred rulers of Ba- 
bylon 1 

Where are the lords of Edom, and the royal pontiflfi of The • 
bais 1 

The golden Satrap, and the Tetrarch, — the Hun, and the 
Druid, and the Celt ? 
18 



206 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



The merchant princes of Phoenicia, and the minds that fash- 
ioned Elephanta 1 

Alas, for tlie poet hath forgotten them ; and lo ! they are out- 
casts of Memory ; 

Alas that they are withered leaves, sapless and fallen from 
the chapiet of fame. 

Speak, EtiTiria, whose bones be these, entombed with costly 
cire, — 

Tell cut, Herculaneum, the titles that have sounded in those 
thy p ilaces, — 

Lycian Xanthus, thy citadels are mute, and the honor of 
their architects hath died ; 

Copan and Palenque, dreamy ruins in the West, the forest 
hath swallowed up your sculptures ; (5) 

Syracuse, — how silent of the past ! — Carthage, thou art blot- 
ted from remembrance ! 

Egypt, wondrous shores, ye are buried in the sandhills of 
forgetfulness ! 

Alas, — for in your glorious youth. Time himself was young, 

And none durst wrestle with that Angel, iron-sinewed bride- 
groom of Space ; 

So he flew by, strong upon the wing, nor dropped one failing 
feather, 

Wherewith some hoary scribe might register their honor and 
renown. 

Beyond the broad Atlantic, in the regions of the setting sun, 

Ask of the plume-crowned Incas, that ruled in old Peru, — 

Ask of grand Caziques, and priests of the pyramids in Mex- 
ico, — 

Ask of a thousand painted tribes, high nobility of Nature, 

Who, once, could roam their own Elysian plains, free, gene- 
rous, and happy. 

Who, now, degraded and in exile, having sold their father- 
land for naught, 

Sink and are extinguished in the western seas, even as the 
sun they follow, — 



SERIES Il.J 



OP AUTHORSHIP. 



207 



Where is the record of their deeds, their prowess worthy of 
Achilles, 

Nestor's wisdom, the chivalry of Manlius, the native elo- 
quence of Cicero, 

The skill of Xeaophon, the spirit of Alcibiades, the firmness 
of a Maccaba3an mother. 

Brotherly love that Antigone might envy, the honor and the 
fortitude of Regulus 1 

Alas ! their glory and their praise have vanished like a sum- 
mer cloud : 

Alas ! that they are dead indeed ; they are not written down 
in the Book of the living. 



High is the privilege of Authorship : I purify mine office ; 

Albeit earthly stains pollute it in my hands. 

For it is to the world a teacher and a guide. Mentor of that 

gay Telemachus ; 
Warning, comforting, and helping,— a lover and friend of 

Man. 
Heaven's almoner, Earth's health, patient minister of good- 
ness. 
With kind and zealous pen, the wise religious blesseth : 
Nature's worshipper, and neophyte of grace, rich in tender 

sympathies. 
With kindled soul and flashing eye the poet poureth out his 

heartful : 
Priest of truth, champion of innocence, warder of the gates 

of praise. 
Carefully with sifting search laboreth the pale historian : 
Error's enemy and acolyte of science, firm in sober argument. 
The calm philosopher marshalleth his facts, noting on his 

page their principles. 
These pour mercies upon men ; and others little less in 

honor. 
By cheerful wit and graphic tale, refreshening the harassed 

spirit. 



208 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



But, there be other some beside, buyers and sellers in the 

temple, 
Who shi'.me their high vocation, greedy of inglorious gain ; 
There be, whf), fabricating books, heed of them meanly as 

of merch-mdise ; 
And seek nor use, nor truth, nor fame, but sell their minds 

for lucre ; 
O false brethren ! ye wot indeed the labor, but are witless 

of the love ; 
O lying prophets, chilled in soul, nnquickened by the life 

of inspiration '. — 
And there be, who, frivolous and vain, seek to make others 

foolish, 
Snaring Youth by loose sweet song, and Age by selfish 

m ixim ; 
Cleverly heartless, and wittily profane, they swell the river 

of corruption : 
Brilliant satellites of sin, — my soul be not found among their 

company. 
And there be who, haters of religion, toil to prove it priest- 
craft, 
Owning none other aim nor hope, but to confound the good : 
Woe unto them ! for their works shall live ; yea to their 

utter condemnation; 
Woe ! for their own handwriting shall testify against them 

for ever. 



Pure is the happiness of Authorship : I glorify mine office ; 
Albeit lightly having sipped the cup of its lower pleasures. 
For it is to feel with a fither's heart, when he yearneth on 

the child of his affections ; 
To n^joice in a man's own miniature world, gladdened by its 

rare arrangement. 
The poem, is it not a fabric of mind ? we love what we create : 
That choice and nmsical order, — how pleasant is the toil of 

composition I 



SERIES II.] 



OF AUTHORSHIP. 



209 



Yea, when the volume of the universe was blazoned out in 
beauty by its Author, 

God was glad, and blessed his work ; for it was ver^'" good. 

And shall not the image of his Maker be happy in his own 
mind's doing. 

Looking on the structure he hath reared, gratefully with 
sweet complacence ? 

Shall not the Minerva of his brain, panoplied and perfect in 
proportions. 

Gladden the soul and give light unto the eyes of him the 
travailing parent 1 

Go to the sculptor and ask him of his dreams, wherefore are 
his nights so moonlit 1 

Angel faces, and beautiful shapes, fascinate the pale Pygma- 
lion : 

Go to the painter and trace his reveries, — wherefore are his 
days so sunny 1 

Choice design and skilful coloring charm the flitting hours of 
Parrhasius : 

Even so, walking in his buoyancy, intoxicate with fairy 
fancies, 

The young enthusiast of authorship goeth on his way re- 
joicing : 

Behold, — he is gallantly attended; legions of thrilling 
thoughts 

Throng about the standard of his mind, and call his Will 
their captain ; 

Behold, — his court is as a monarch's ; ideas, and grand 
imaginations 

Swell, with gorgeous cavalcade, the splendour of his Spirit- 
ual State ; 

Behold, — he is delicately served ; for oftentimes, in solitary 
calmness. 

Some mental fair Egoria smileth on her Numa's worship ; 

Behold, — he is happy ; there is gladness in his eye, and his 
heart is a sealed fountain, 
18* 



210 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Bounding secretly with joys unseen, and keeping down its 
ecstasy of pleasure ! 



Yea ; how dignified, and worthy, full of privilege and hap- 
piness, 

Standeth in mijestic independence the self-ennobled Author ! 

For God liath blessed him with a mind, and cherished it in 
tenderness and purity, 

Hath taught it in the whisperings of wisdom, and added all 
the riclies of content: 

Therefore, leaning on his God, a pensioner for soul and body, 

His spirit is the subject of none other, calling no man Mas- 
ter. 

His hopes are mighty and eternal, scorning small ambitions : 

He hideth from the pettiness of praise, and pitieth the feeble- 
ness of envy. 

If he meet honors, well ; it may be his humility to take 
them : 

If he be rebuked, better ; his veriest enemy shall teach him. 

For the master-mind hath a birthright of eminence : his cra- 
dle is an eagle's eyrie : 

Need but to wait till his wings are grown, and genius soareth 
to the sun : 

To creeping things upon the mountain leaveth he the gradual 
ascent, 

Resting his swiftness on the summit only for a higher flight. 

Glad in clear good conscience, lightly doth he look for com- 
mendation ; 

What, if the prophet lacketh honor 1 for he can spare that 
praise : 

The honest giant careth not to be patted on the back by pig- 
mies : 

Flatter greatness, he brooketh it good-humoredly : blame 
him, — thou tiltest at a pyramid : 

Yet, just censure of the good never can he hear without con- 
trition ; 



SERIES 11.] 



OF AUTHORSHIP. 



211 



Neither would he miss one wise man's praise, for scarce is 

tliat jewel and costly. 
Only for the herd of common minds, and the vulgar trumpet- 

ings of fame, 
If aught he heedeth in the matter, his honor is sought in 

their neglect. 
Slender is the mmvel, and little is the glory, when round his 

luscious fruits 
The worm and the wasp and the multitude of flies are 

gathered as to banquet ; 
Fashion's freak, and the critical sting, and the flood of flat- 
teries, he scorneth ; 
Cheerfully asking of the crowd the favor to forget him : 
The while his blooming fruits ripen in richer fragrance, 
A feast for the few, — and the many yet unborn, — who still 

shall love their savor. 

So, then, humbly with his God, and proudly independent of 

his fellows, 
Walketh, in pleasures multitudinous, the man ennobled by 

his pen : 
He hath built up, glorious architect, a monument more dura- 
ble than brass. 
His children's children shall talk of him in love, and teach 

their sons his honor : 
His dignity hath set him among princes, the universe is 

debtor to his worth. 
His privilege is blessing for ever, his happiness shineth now. 
For he standeth of that grand Election, each man one among 

a thousand, 
Whose sound is gone out into all lands, and their words to 

the end of the world ! 



■♦- 






212 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



OF MYSTERY. 

All things being are in mystery ; we expound mysteries by 
mysteries ; 

And yet the secret of them all is one in simple grandeur : 

All intricate, yet each path plain, to those who know the 
way; 

All una pproachable, yet easy of access, to them that hold the 
key; 

We walk among labyrinths of wonder, but thread the mazes 
with a cine ; 

We sail in chartless seas, but behold ! the pole-star is above 
us. 

For, counting down from God's good-will, thou meltest every 
riddle into him, 

The axiom of reason is an undiscovered God, and all things 
live in his ubiquity ; 

There is only one great secret ; but that one hideth every- 
where ; 

How should the infinite be understood in Time, when it 
stretcheth on ungrasped for ever ; 

Can a halting CEdipus of earth guess that enigma of the uni- 
verse 1 

Not one ; the sword of faith must cut the Gordian knot of 
Nature. 

God, pervading all, is in all things the mystery of each ; 
The wherefore of its character and essence, the fountain of 

its virtues and its beauties. 
The child asketh of its mother, — Wherefore is the violet so 

sweet 1 
The mother answereth her babe, — Darling, God hath willed it. 
And sages, diving into science, have but a profundity of 

words, 



SERIES II.] OF MYSTERY. 213 

They track for some new links the circling chain of conse- 
quence, 
And then, after doubts and disputations, are left where they 

began, 
At the bald conclusion of a clown, things are because they 

are. 
Wherefore are the meadows green, is it not to gratify the eye t 
But why should greenness charm the eye? such is God's 

good will. 
Wherefore is the ear attuned to a pleasure in musical sounds. 
And who set a number to those sounds, and fixed the laws 

of harmony 1 
Who taught the bird to build its nest, or lent the shrub its 

life. 
Or poised in the balances of order the power to attract and to 

repel 1 
Who coiitinueth the worlds, and the sea, and the heart in 

motion 1 
Who commanded gravitation to tie down all upon its 

sphere ? — 
For even as a limestone cliff is an aggregate of countless 

shells. 
One riddle concrete of many, a mystery compact of mysteries. 
So God, cloudcapped in immensity, standetli the cohesion of 

all things, 
And secrets, sublimely indistinct, permeate that Universe, 

Himself: 
As is the whole, so are the parts, whether they be mighty or 

minute, 
The sun is not more unexplained than the tissue of an em- 
met's wing. 

Thus then, omnipresent Deity worketh his unbiassed mind, 
A mind, one in moral, but infinitely multiplied in means : 
And the uniform prudence of his will cometh to be counted 
law, 



214 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Till mutable man fancieth volition, stirring in the potter's 
clay: 

God, a wise father, showeth not his reasons to his babes ; 

But willeth in secresy and goodness ; for causes generate 
dispute : 

Then we, his darkling children, watch that invariable pur- 
pose, 

And invest the passive creature w^ith its Maker's energy and 
skill. 

Therefore, they of old time stopped short of God in idols, 

Therefore, in these latter days, we heed not the Jehovah in 
his works. 

Mystery is God's great name ; He is the mystery of goodness : 

Some other, from the hierarchs of heaven, usurped the mys- 
tery of sin. 

God is the King, yea even of himself ; he crowned himself 
with holiness ; 

The burning circlet of iniquity another found and wore. 

God is separate, even from his attributes ; but he willed eter- 
nally the good; 

Therefore freely, though unchangeably, is wise, righteous, 
and loving : 

But ambition, open unto angels, saw the evil, flung aside 
from everlasting. 

It was Lucifer that saw, and nothing loathed those black un- 
claimed regalia, 

So he coveted and stole, to be counted for a king, antagonist 
of God, 

But when he touched the leprous robes, behold, a cheated 
traitor. 



For self existence, charactered with love, with power, wis- 
dom, and ubiquity. 

Could not dwell alone, but willed and worked creation. 

Thus, in continual exhalation, darkening the void with mat- 
ter, 






SERIES II.] 



OF MYSTERY. 



215 



Sp:fang from prolific Deity the creatures of his skill ; 

And beings, living on his breath, were needfully less perfect 
than himself, 

Therefore less capable of bliss, whereat his benevolence was 
bounded : 

So to make the capability expand, intensely progressive to 
eternity, 

He suffered darkness to illustrate the light, and pain to height- 
en pleasure. 

To heap up happiness on souls he love J, allowed he sin and 
sorrow. 

And then to guilt and grief and shame, he brought unbidden 
amnesty : 

Sinless, none hid been redeemed, nor wrapt again in God : 

Sorrovvless, no conflict had been known, and Heaven had 
been mulcted of it? comfort: 

Yea, with evil unexhibited, probationary toils unfelt, 

Men had not appreciated good, nor angels valued their se- 
curity. 

Herein, to reason's eye, is revealed the mystery of goodness, 

Blessing through permitted woe, and teaching by the mystery 
of sin. 



O Christian, whose chastened curiosity loveth things mys- 
terious. 
Accounting them shadows and eclipses of Him the one great 

light, 
Look now, satisfied with fiiith, on minds that judge hy sense, 
And dull from contemplating matter, t^.ke smill heed of spirit. 
Toiling feebly upward, their argument tracketh from below. 
They catch the latest consequent, and prove the nearest 

cau^e : 
What is this? that a seed produced a seed, and so for a 

thousand seasons : 
Ascend a thousand steps, thy ladder leaveth thee in air: 
Thou canst not climb to God, and short of Him is nothing; 



216 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



There is no cause for aught we see, but in his present will. 
Begin from the Maker thou carriest down his attributes to 

reptiles, 
The sharded beetle and the lizard live and move in Him : 
Begin from the creature, corruption and infirmity mar thy 

foolish toil, 
Heap Ossa on Olympus, — how much art thou nearer to the 

stars 1 
It is easy running from a mountain's top down to the valleys 

at its foot. 
But difficult and steep the laborious ascent, and feebly shalt 

thou reach it ; 
Yet man, beginning from himself, that first deluding mystery, 
Hopeth from the pit of lies to struggle up to truth ; 
So, taxing knowledge to its strength, he pusheth one step 

further. 
And fancieth complacently that much is done by reaching a 

remote effect : 
Then he maketh answer to himself, as a silly nurse to her 

little one. 
Evading, in a mist of words, hard things he cannot solve ; 
Till, like an ostrich in the desert, he burieth his head in 

atoms. 
Hoping that, if he is blind, no sun can shine in heaven. 



Therefore cometh it to pass, that an atheist is ever the 
most credulous. 

Snatching at any foolish cause, that may dispel his doubts ; 

And, even as it were for ridicule, a spectacle to men and an- 
gels, 

The captious and cautious unbeliever is of all men weakest 
to believe : 

Cut from the anchorage of God, his bark is a plaything of 
the billows ; 

The compass of his principle is broken, the rudder of his 
faith unshipped : 



SERIES II.] 



OF MYSTERY. 



217 



Chance and Fate, in a stultified antagonism, govern all for 
him ; 

Truth sprang from the conflict of falsities, and the multitude 
of accidents hath bred design ! 

Where is the imposture so gross that shall not entrap his 
curiosity 1 

What superstition is so abject that it doth not blanch his 
cheek ? 

Whereof can he be sure, with whom Chaos is substitute for 
order ? 

How should his silly structure stand, a pyramid built upon 
its apex 1 

Yea, I have seen grey-headed men, the bastard slips of sci- 
ence. 

Go for light to glowworms, while they scorn the gun at 
noon; 

Men, who fear no God, trembling at a gipsy's curse, 

Men, who jest at revelation, clinging to a madman's pro- 
phecy ! 



There is a pleasing dread in the fashion of all mysteries. 

For hope is mixed therein and fear ; who shall divine their 
issues ? 

Even the orphan, wandering by night, lost on dreary moors. 

Is sensible of some vague bliss amidst his shapeless terrors ; 

The buoyancy of instant expectation, spurring on the mind to 
venture, 

Overbeareth, in its energy, the cramp and the chill of appre- 
hension. 

There is a solitary pride, when the heart, in new importance, 

Writeth gladly on its archives, the secrets none other men 
have seen ; 

And there is a caged terror, evermore wrestling with the 
mind, 

When crime hath whispered his confession, and the secrets 
are written there in blood : 
19 



218 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



The village maiden is elated at a tenderly confided tale ; 

The bandit's wife with sickening fear guessed the premedi- 
tated murder ; 

The sage, with triumph on his brow, hideth up his deep dis- 
covery ; 

The idlest clown shall delve all day to find a hidden treasure. 

For mystery is man's life ; we wake to the whisperings of 
novelty : 

And what, though we lie down disappointed 1 we sleep, to 
wake in hope. 

The letter, or the news, the chances and the changes, mat- 
ters that may happen, 

Sweeten or embitter daily life with the honey-gall of mys- 
tery. 

For we walk blindfold, — and a minute may be much, — a step 
may reach the precipice ; 

What earthly loss, what heavenly gain, may not this day 
produce 1 

Levelled of Alps and Andes, without its valleys and ravines, 

How dull the face of earth, unfeatured of both beauty and 
sublimity : 

And so, shorn of mystery, beggared in its hopes and fears. 

How flat the prospect of existence, mapped by intuitive fore- 
knowledge. 

Praise God, creature of earth, for the mercies linked with 
secresy, 

That spices of uncertainty enrich thy cup of life : 

Praise God, his hosts on high, for the mysteries that make 
all Joy ; 

What were intelligence, with nothing more to learn, or 
heaven, in eternity of sameness 7 



To number every mystery were to sum the sum of all things : 
None can exhaust a theme, whereof God is example and 
similitude. 



SERIES II.] OF MYSTERY. 219 

Nevertheless, take a garland from the garden, a handful from 

the harvest. 
Some scattered drops of spray from the ceaseless mighty- 
cataract. 
Whence are we, — whither do we tend, — how do we feel and 

reason 1 
How strange a thing is man, a spirit saturating clay ! 
When doth soul make embryos immortal, — how do they rank 

hereafter, — 
And will the unconscious idiot be quenched in death as 

nothing 1 
Its essence immaterial, are these minds, as it were thinking 

machines 7 
For, to understand may but rightly be to use a mechanism all 

possess. 
So that in reading or hearing of another, a man shall seem 

unto himself 
To be recollecting images or arguments, native and congenial 

to his mind : 
And yet, what shall we say, — who can arede the riddle 1 
The brain may be clockwork, and mind its spring, mechanism 

quickened by a spirit. 

Who so shrewd as rightly to divide life, instinct, reason ; 

Trees, zoophytes, creatures of the plain, and savage men 
among them 1 

Hath the mimosa instinct, — or the scallop more than life, — 

Or the dog less than reason, — or the brute man more than 
instinct ? 

What is the cause of health, — and the gendering of disease 1 

Why should arsenic kill, — and whence is the potency of an- 
tidotes 1 

Behold, a morsel, — eat and die ; the term of thy probation is 
expired : 

Behold, a potion, — drink and be alive ; the limit of thy trial 
is enlarged. 






220 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Who can expound beauty ? or explain the character of na- 
tions 1 

Who will furnish a cause for the epidemic force of fashion? 

Is there a moral magnetism living in the light of example 1 

Is practice electricity 1 — Yet all these are but names. 

Doth normal Art imprison, in its works, spirit translated into 
substance, 

So that the statue, the picture, or the poem, are crystals of 
the mind 1 

And doth Philosophy with sublimating skill shred away the 
matter, 

Till rarified intelligence exudeth even out of stocks and 
stones 1 



O MYSTERIES, ye all are one, the mind of an inexplicable 

Architect 
Dwelleth alike in each, quickening and moving in them 

all. 
Fields, and forests, and cities of men, their woes and wealth 

and works. 
And customs, and contrivances of life, with all we see and 

know. 
For a little way, a little while, ye hang dependent on each 

other, 
But all are held in one right hand, and by His will ye are. 
Here is answer unto mystery, an unintelligible God, 
This is the end and the beginning, it is reason that He be 

not understood. 
Therefore it were probable and just, even to a man's weak 

thinking, 
To have one for God who always may be learnt, yet never 

fully known. 
That He, from whom all mysteries spring, in whom they all 

converge. 
Throned in his sublimity beyond the grovellings of lower in- 
tellect. 



SERIES ii.J OF GIFTS. 221 

Should claim to be truer than man's truest, the boasted cer- 
tainty of numbers, 

Should baffle his arithmetic, confound his demonstrations, 
and paralyse the might of his necessity, 

Standing supreme as the mystery of mysteries, everywhere, 
yet impersonate. 

Essential one in three, essential three in one ! 



OF GIFTS. 

1 HAD a seeming friend : — I gave him gifts and he was gone ; 
I had an open enemy : — I gave him gifts and won him : 
Common friendship standeth on equalities and cannot bear a 

debt ; 
But the very heart of hate melteth at a good man's love : 
Go to, then, thou that sayest, I will give and rivet the links : 
For pride shall kick at obligation, and push the giver from 

him. 
The covetous spirit may rejoice, revelling in thy largess, 
But chilling selfishness will mutter, — I must give again : 
The vain heart may be glad, in this new proof of man's 

esteem. 
But the same idolatry of self abhorreth. thoughts of thanking. 

Nevertheless, give ; for it shall be a discriminative test, 
Separating honesty from falsehood, weeding insincerity 

from friendship. 
Give, it is like God ; thou weariest the bad with benefits : 
Give, it is like God ; thou gladdenest the good by gratitude. 
Give to thy near of kin, for Providence hath stationed thee 

his helper : 
Yet see that he claim not as his right, thy freewill offering 

of duty. 
Give to the young, they love it ; neither hath the poison of 

suspicion 

19* 



222 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Spoilt the flavor of their thanks, to look for latent motives. 

Give to merit, largely give ; his conscious heart will bless 
thee: 

It is not flattery, but love, — the sympathy of men his breth- 
ren. 

Give, for encouragement in good ; the weak desponding mind 

Hath many foes, and much to do, and leaneth on its friends. 

Yet heed thou wisely these ; give seldom to thy better ; 

For such obtrusive boon shall savor of presumption ; 

Or, if his courteous bearing greet thy proffered kindness, 

Shall not thine independent honesty be vexed at the sem- 
blance of a bribe 1 

Moreover, heed thou this ; give to thine equal charily, 

The occasion fair and fitting, the gift well chosen and de- 
sired : 

Hath he been prosperous and blest 1 a flower may show thy 
gladness ; 

Is he in need 1 with liberal love tender him the well-filled 
purse ; 

Disease shall welcome friendly care in grapes and precious 
unguents ; 

And where a darling child hath died, give praise, and hope, 
and sympathy : 

Yet once more, heed thou this ; give to the poor discreetly, 

Nor sufier idle sloth to lean upon thy charitable arm : 

To diligence give, as to an equal, on just and fit occasion ; 

Or he bartereth his hard-earned self-reliance for the casual 
lottery of gifts. 

The timely loan hath added nerve, where easy liberality 
would palsy ; 

Work and wages make a light heart: but the mendicant ask- 
ed with a heavy spirit. 

A man's own self-respect is worth unto him more than 
money, 

And evil is the charity that humbleth, and maketh man less 
happy. 



SERIES II. J 



OF GIFTS. 



223 



There are who sow liberalities, to reap the like again: 
But men accept his boon, scorning the shallow usurer : 
I have known many such a fisherman lose his golden baits • 
And oftentimes the tame decoy escapeth with the flock. 
Yea, there are who give unto the poor, to gain large interest 

of God :— 
Fool, — to think His wealth is money, and not mind : 
And haply after thine alms, thy calculated givings. 
The hurricane shall blast thy crops, and sink the homeward 

ship ; 
Then shall thy worldly soul murmur that the balances were 

false. 
Thy trader's-mind shall think of God, — He stood not to his 

bargain. 



Give, saith the preacher, be large in liberality, yield to the 

holy impulse. 
Tarry not for cold consideration, but cheerfully and freely 

scatter. 
So, for complacency of conscience, in a gush of counterfeited 

charity. 
He that hath not wherewith to be just, selfishly presumeth 

to be generous. 
The debtor, and the rich by wrong, are known among the 

band of the benevolent ; 
And men extol the noble hearts, who rob that they may give. 
Receivers are but little prone to challenge rights of giving, 
Nor stop to test, for conscience-sake, the righteousness of 

mammon : 
And the zealot in a cause is a receiver, at the hand which 

bettereth his cause ; 
And thus an unsuspected bribe shall blind the good man's 

judgment : 
It is easy to excuse greatness, and the rich are readily for- 
given : 



224 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



What, if his gains were evil, sanctified by using them 

aright 1 
O shallow flatterer, self-interest is thy thought. 
Hopeless of partaking in the like, thou too wouldest scorn 

the giver. 



Money hath its value ; and the scatterer thereof his thanks ; 

Few men, drinking at a rivulet, stop to consider its source. 

The hand that closeth on an aim, be it for necessities or 
zeal, 

Hath small scruple whence it came : Vespasian rejoiceth in 
his tribute ; 

Therefore have colleges and hospitals risen upon orphans' 
wrongs, 

Chapels and cathedrals have thriven on the welcome wages 
of iniquity, 

And fraud, in evil compensation, hath salved his guilty con- 
science. 

Not by restoring to the cheated, but by ostentatious giving to 
the grateful. 

So, those who reap rejoice ; and reaping, bless the sower : 
No one is eager to discover, where discovery tendeth unto 

loss: 
Yet, if knowledge of a theft make gainers thereby guilty. 
Can he be altogether innocent who never asked the honesty 

of gain 1 
Therefore, O preacher, zealous for charity, temper thy warm 

appeal, — 
Warning the debtor and unjustly rich, they may not dare to 

give : 
To do good is a privilege and guerdon ; how shouldest thou 

rejoice 1 
If ill-got gifts of presumptuous fraud be offered on the altar? 
The question is not of degrees ; unhallowed alms are evil: 
Discourage and reject alike the obolus, or talent of iniquity. 



SERIES 11.] 



OP GIFTS. 



i225 



Yet more, be careful that, unworthily, thou gain not an 
advantage over weakness, 

Unstable souls, fervent and profuse, fluttered by the feeling 
of the moment ; 

For eloquence swayeth to its will the feeble and the con- 
scious of defect : 

Rashly give they, and afterward are sad, — a gift that doubly 
erred. 

It was the worldllness of priestcraft that accounted alms- 
giving for charity ; 

And many a father's penitence hath steeped his son in 
penury : 

Yet, considered he lightly the guilt of a deathbed selfishness 

That strove to take with him, for gain, the gold no longer his : 

So he died in a false peace, and dying robbed his kindred ; 

The cunning friar at his side having cheated both the living 
and the dead. 



Charity sitteth on a fair hill-top, blessing far and near, 

But her garments drop ambrosia, chiefly on the violets around 
her: 

She gladdeneth indeed the map-like scene, stretching to the 
verge of the horizon, 

For her angel face is lustrous and beloved, even as the moon 
in heaven. 

But the light of that beatific vision gloweth in serener con- 
centration 

The nearer to her heart, and nearer to her home, — that hill- 
top where she sitteth : 

Therefore is she kind unto her kin, yearning in affection on 
her neighbors. 

Giving gifts to those around who know and love her well. 

Bat the counterfeit of charity, an hypocrite of earth, not a 
grace of heaven, 

Seeketh not to bless at home, for her nearer aspect is ill- 
favored : 



226 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Therefore hideth she for shame, counting that pride humility, 
And none of those around her hearth are gladdened by her 

gifts : 
Rather, with an overreaching zeal, flingeth she her bounty 

to the stranger, 
And scattered prodigalities abroad compensate for meanness 

in lier home : 
For benefits showered on the distant shine in unmixed 

beauty, 
So then even she may reap their undiscerning praise : 
Therefore native want hath pined, where foreign need was 

fattened ; 
Woman been crushed by the tyrannous hand that upheld the 

flag of liberality ; 
Poverty been prisoned up and starved by hearts that are 

maudlin upon crime ; 
And freeborn babes been manacled by men who liberate the 

sturdy slave. 



Policy counselleth a gift, given wisely and in season. 

And policy afterward approveth it, for great is the influence 

of gifts. 
The lover, unsmiled upon before, is welcomed for his jewelled 

bauble : 
The righteous cause without a fee must yield to bounteous 

guilt : 
How fair is a man in thine esteem whose just discrimination 

seeketh thee, 
And so, discerning merit, honoreth it with gifts ! 
Yea, let the cause appear sufficient, and the motive clear and 

unsuspicious. 
As given unto one who cannot help, or proving honest 

thanks, 
There liveth not one among a million who is proof against 

the charm of liberality. 
And flattery, that boon of praise, hath power with the wisest. 



SERIES II.J 



OF BEAUTY. 



227 



Man is of three natures, craving all for charity ; 

It is not enough to give him meats, withholding other comfort ; 

For the mind starveth, and the soul is scorned, and so the 

human animal 
Eateth its unsatisfying pittance, a thankless, heartless pauper : 
Yet would he bless thee and be grateful, didst thou feed his 

spirit, 
And teach him that thine almgivings are charities, are loves : 
— I saw a beggar in the street, and another beggar pitied him ; 
Sympathy sank into his soul, and the pitied one felt happier : 
Anon passed by a cavalcade, children of wealth and gaiety ; 
They laughed, and looked upon the beggar, and the gallants 

flung him gold ; 
He, poor spirit-humbled wretch, gathered up their givings 

with a curse, 
And went — to share it with his brother, the beggar who had 

pitied him ' 



OF BEAUTY 



Thou mightier than Manoah's son, whence is thy great 

strength, 
And wherein the secret of thy craft, O charmer charming 

wisely 1 — 
For thou art strong in weakness, and in artlessness well- 
skilled, 
Constant in the multitudes of change, and simple amidst in- 
tricate complexity. 
Folly's shallow lip can ask the deepest question. 
And many wise in many words should answer, what is 

beauty ? — 
Who shall separate the hues that flicker on a dying dolphin, 
Or analyse the jewelled lights that deck the peacock's train, 
Or shrewdly mix upon a palette the tints of an iridescent 
spar, 



228 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 

Or set in rank the wandering shades about a watered silk 1 

For beauty is intangible, vague, ill to be defined : 

She hath the coat of a chameleon, changing while we watch it, 

Strangely woven is the web, disorderly yet harmonious, 

A glistering robe of mingled mesh, that may not be unra- 
velled. 

It is shot with heaven's blue, the soul of summer skies, 

And twisted strings of light, the mind of noonday suns. 

And ruddy gleams of life, that roll along the veins, 

A coat of many colors, running curiously together. 

There is threefold beauty for man; twofold beauty for the 
animal; 

And the beauty of inanimates is single : body, temper, spirit. 

Multiplied in endless combination, issue the changeable 
results ; 

Each class verging on the other twain, with imperceptible 
gradation ; 

And every individual in each having his propriety of differ- 
ence, 

So that the meanest of creation bringeth in a tribute of the 
beautiful. 

Yea, from the worst in favor shineth out a fitness of design, 

The patent mark of beauty, its Maker's name imprest. 

For the great Creator's seal is set to all his works ; 

Its quarterings are Attributes of praise, and all the shield is 
beauty. 

So, that heraldic blazon is Creation's common signet; 

And the universal family of life goeth in the colors of its 
Lord ; 

But each one, as a several son, shall bear those arms with a 
difference : 

Beauty, various in phase, and similar in seeming oppositions. 

The coins of old Rome were struck with a diversity for 
each, 

Barely two be found alike in every Cesar's image : 



SERIES II.] 



OF BEAUTY. 



229 



So, note thou the seals, ranged around the charters of the 

Universe, 
The finger of God is the stamp upon them all, but each hath 

its separate variety. 

Beauty, theme of innocence, how may guilt discourse thee? 

Let holy angels sing thy praise, for man hath marred thy 
visage. 

Still, the maimed torso of a Theseus can gladden taste with 
its proportions ; 

Though sin hath shattered every limb, how comely are the 
fragments ! 

And music leaveth on the ear a memory of sweet sounds ; 

And broken arches charm the sight with hints of fair com- 
pleteness. 

So, while humbled at the ruin, be thou grateful for the relics ; 

Go forth, and look on all around with kind uncaptious eye : 

Freely let us wander through these unfrequented ways, 

And talk of glorious beauty filling all the world. 



For beauty hideth everywhere, that Reason's child may 
seek her. 

And having found the gem of price, may set it in God's 
crown. 

Beauty nestleth in the rosebud, or walketh the firmament 
with planets. 

She is heard in the beetle's evening hymn, and shouteth in 
the matins of the sun ; 

The cheek of the peach is glowing with her smile, her splen- 
dor blazeth in the lightning. 

She is the dryad of the woods, the naiad of the streams ; 

Her golden hair hath tapestried the silkworm's silent cham- 
ber, 

And to her measured harmonies the wild waves beat in 
time : 

With twinkling feet at eventide she danceth in the meadow, 

20 



230 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Or, like a Titan, lieth stretched athwart the ridgy Alps ; 
She is rising, in her veil of mist, a Venus from the waters, — 
Men gaze upon the loveliness, — and lo, it is beautiful exceed- 
ingly ; 
She, with the might of a Briareus, is dragging down the 

clouds upon the mountain, — 
Men look upon the grandeur, — and lo, it is excellent in glory. 
For I judge that beauty and sublimity be but the^ lesser and 

the great, 
Sublime, as magnified to giants, and beautiful, diminished 

into fairies. 
It were a false fancy to solve all beauty by desire, 
It were a lowering thought to expound sublimity by dread. 
Cowardly men with trembling hearts have feared the furious 

storm. 
Nor felt its thrilling beauty : but is it then not beautiful 1 
And careless men, at summer's eve, have loved the dimpled 

waves ; 
O that smile upon the seas, — hath it no sublimity 7 
Doot thou nothing know of this, — to be awed at woman's 

beauty 1 
Nor, with exhilarated heart, to hail the crashing thunder 1 
Thou hast much to learn, that never found a fearfulness in 

flowers, 
Thou hast missed of joy, that never basked in beauties of the 

terrible. 



Show me an enthusiast in aught ; he hath noted one thing 

narrowly. 
And lo, his keenness hath detected the one dear hiding-place 

of beauty. 
Then he boasteth, simple soul, flattered by discovery, 
Fancying that no science else can show so fair and precious : 
He hath found a ray of light, and cherisheth the treasure in 

his closet, 
Mocking at those larger minds, that bathe in floods of noon ; 



SERIES II. J 



OF BEAUTY. 



231 



Lo, what a jewel hath he gotten, — this is the monopolist of 

beauty, — 
And lightly heeding all beside, he poured his yearnings thi- 
therward : 
Be it for love, or for learning, habit, art, or nature, 
Exclusive thought is all the cause of this particular zeal. 
But the like intensity of fitness, kind and skilful beauty, 
So pleasant to his mind in one thing, filleth all beside : 
From the waking minute of a chrysalis, to the perfect cycle 

of chronology. 
From the centipede's jointed armor to the mammoth's fossil 

ribs. 
From the kingfisher's shrill note, to the cataract's thundering 

bass, 
From the greensward's grateful hues, to the fascinating eye 
u of woman, 

Beauty, various in all things, setteth up her home in each, 
Shedding graciously around an omnipresent smile. 

There is beauty in the rolling clouds, and placid shingle 

beach. 
In feathery snows, and whistling winds, and dun electric 

skies : 
There is beauty in the rounded woods, dank with heavy fo- 

Uage, 
In laughing fields, and dinted hills, the valley and its 

lake: 
There is beauty in the gullies, beauty on the cliifs, beauty in 

sun and shade, 
In rocks and rivers, seas and plains, — the earth is drowned 

in beauty. 



Beauty coileth vv^ith the watersnake, and is cradled in the 

shrewmouse's nest, 
She flitteth out with evening bats, and the soft mole hid her 

in his tunnel ; 



232 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



The limpet is encamped upon the shore, and beauty not a 

stranger to his tent : 
The silvery dace and golden carp thread the rushes with 

her: 
She saileth into clouds with an eagle, she fluttereth into 

tulips with a humming-bird ; 
The pasturing kine are of her company, and she prowleth 

with the leopard in his jungle. 

Moreover, for the reasonable world, its words, and acts, and 
speculation, 

For frail and fallen manhood, in his every work and way, 

Beauty, wrecked and stricken, lingereth still among us, 

And morsels of that shattered sun are dropt upon the dark- 
ness. 

Yea, with savages and boors, the mean, the cruel and be- 
sotted, 

Ever in extenuating grace hide som.e relics of the beautiful. 

Gleams of kindness, deeds of courage, patience, justice, ge- 
nerosity, 

Truth welcomed, knowledge prized, rebukes taken with con- 
trition, 

All in various measure, have been blest with some of these. 

And never yet hath lived the man utterly beggared of the 
beautiful. 



Beauty is as crystal in the torchlight, sparkling on the poet's 
page; 

Virgin honey of Hyraettus, distilled from the lips of the orator ; 

A savor of sweet spikenard, anointing the hands of liberality ; 

A feast of angels' food set upon the tables of religion. 

She is seen in the tear of sorrow, and heard in the exube- 
rance of mirth. 

She goeth out early with the huntsman, and watcheth at the 
pillow of disease. 

Science in his secret laws hath found out latent beauty, 



SERIES II.] 



OF BEAUTY. 



233 



Sphere and square, and cone and curve, are fashioned by her 
rules : 

Mechanism met her in his forces, fancy caught her in its flit- 
tings, 

Day is lightened by her eyes, and her eyelids close upon the 
night. 

Beauty is dependence in the babe, a toothless tender nurs- 
ling ; 
Beauty is boldness in the boy, a curly rosy truant ; 
Beauty, is modesty and grace in fair retiring girlhood, 
Beauty is openness and strength in pure high-minded youth ; 
Man, the noble and intelligent, gladdeneth earth in beauty. 
And woman's beauty sunneth him, as with a smile from 
heaven. 

There is none enchantment against beauty. Magician for all 
time, 

Whose potent spells of sympathy have charmed the passive 
world : 

Verily she reigneth a Semiramis ; there is no might against 
her; 

The lords of every land are harnessed to her triumph. 

Beauty is conqueror of all, nor ever yet was found among 
the nations 

That iron-moulded mind, full proof against her power. 

Beauty, like a summer's day, subdueth by sweet influences ; 

Who can wrestle against Sleep ? — yet is that giant very gen- 
tleness. 



Ajax may rout a phalanx, but beauty shall enslave him 

single-handed, 
Pericles ruled Athens, yet is he the servant of Aspasia : 
Light were the labor, and oftentold the tale, to count the vic- 
tories of beauty, — 

20* 



234 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Helen, and Judith, and Omphale, and Thais, many a trophied 

name. 
At a glance the misanthrope was softened, and repented of 

his vows. 
When beauty asked, he gave, and banned her — with a bless- 

The cold ascetic loved the smile that lit his dismal cell, 
And kindly stayed her step, and wept when she departed ; 
The bigot abbess felt her heart gush with a mother's feeling. 
When looking on some lovely face beneath the cloister's 

shade ; 
Usury freed her without ransom : the buccaneer was gentle 

in her presence : 
Madness kissed her on the che^, and Idiotcy brightened at 

her coming : 
Yea, the very cattle in the field, and hungry prowlers of the 

forest. 
With fawning homage greeted her, as beauty glided by. 
A welcome guest unbidden, she is dear to every hearth ; 
A glad spontaneous growth of friends is springing round her 

rest; 
Learning sitteth at her feet, and Idleness laboreth to please 

her. 
Folly hath flung aside his bells, and leaden Dulness gloweth ; 
Prudence is rash in her defence ; Frugality filleth her with 

riches ; 
Despair came to her for counsel ; and Bereavement was glad 

when she consoled ; 
Justice putteth up his sword at the tear of supplicating 

beauty, 
And Mercy, with indulgent haste, hath pardoned beauty's 

sin. 



For beauty is the substitute for all things, satisfying every 

absence. 
The rich delirious cup, to make all else forgotten ; 



SERIES II.] 



OF BEAUTY. 



235 



She also is the zest unto all things, enhancing every pre- 
sence, 
The rare and precious ambergris, to quicken each perfume. 
O beauty, thou art eloquent ; yea, though slow of tongue, 
Thy breast, fair Phryne, pleaded well before the dazzled 

judge ; 
O beauty, thou art wise ; yea, though teaching falsely, 
Sages listen, sweet Corinna, to commend thy lips ; (e) 
O beauty, thou art ruler ; yea, though lowly as a slave, 
Myrrha, that imperial brow is monarch of thy lord ; 
O beauty, thou art winner ; yet, though halting in the race, 
Hippodame, Camilla, Atalanta, — in gracefulness ye fascinate 

your umpires ; 
O beauty, thou art rich ; yea, though clad in russet, 
Attalus cannot boast his gold against the wealth of beauty ; 
C jeauty, thou art noble : yea, though Esther be an exile, 
Set her up on high, ye kings, and bow before the majesty of 
beauty ! 

Friend and scholar, who, in charity, hast walked with me 
thus far, 

We have wandered in a wilderness of sweets, tracking beau- 
ty's footsteps : 

And ever as we rambled on among the tangled thicket, 

Many a startled thought hath tempted further roaming ; 

Passions, sympathetic influence, might of imaginary halos, — 

Many the like would lure aside, to hunt their wayward 
themes. 

And, look you ! — from his ferny bed in yonder hazel coppice, 

A dappled hart hath flung aside the boughs and broke 
away; 

He is fleet and capricious as the zephyr, and with exulting 
bou"«ds 

Hieth dowu a turfy lane between the sounding woods ; 

His neck is garlanded with flowers, his antlers hung with 
chaplets, 



236 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



And rainbow-colored ribbons stream adown his mottled 

flanks : 
Should we follow 1 — foolish hunters, thus to chase afoot, — 
Who can track the airy speed and doubling wiles of Taste 1 



For the estimates of human beauty, dependent upon time 

and clime, 
Manifold and changeable, are multiplied the more by strange 

gregarious fashion 
And notable ensamples in the great turn to epidemics in the 

lower. 
So that a nation's taste shall vary with its rulers. 
Stern Egypt, humbled to the Greek, fancied softer idols, 
Greece, the Roman province, nigh forgat her classic sculpture, 
Rome, crushed beneath the Goth, loved his barbarian habits, 
And Alaric, with his ruffian horde, is tamed by silken 

Rome, 
Columbia's flattened head, and China's crumpled feet, — 
The civilized tapering waist, — and the pendulous ^,rs of the 

savage, — 
The swollen throat among the mountains, and an ebon skin 

beneath the tropics, — 
These shall all be reckoned beauty ; and for weighty cause : 
First, for the latter ; Providence in mercy tempereth taste by 

circumstance, 
So that Nature's must shall hit her creatures' liking ; 
Second, for the middle ; though the foolishness of vanity 

seek to mar proportion. 
Still, defects in those we love shall soon be counted praise ; 
Third, for the first ; a chief and a princess, maimed or dis- 
torted from the cradle, 
Shall coax the flattery of slaves to imitate the great in their 

deformity ; 
Hence groweth habit ; and habits make a taste, 
And so shall servile zeal deface the types of beauty. 
Whiles Alexander conquered, crookedness was comely ; 



SERIES II.] 



OP BEAUTY. 



237 



And followers learn to praise the scars upon their leader's brow. 
Youth hath sought to flatter Age by mimicking grey hairs ; 
Age plastereth her wrinkles, and is painted in the ruddiness 

of Youth. 
J'ashion, the parasite of Rank, apeth faults and failings, 
Until the general Taste depraved hath warped its sense of 

beauty. 

Each man hath a measure for himself, yet all shall coincide 
in much; 

A perfect form of human grace would captivate the world ; 

Be it manhood's lustre, or the loveliness of woman, all would 
own its beauty, 

The CafFre and Circassian, Russians and Hindoos, the Briton, 
the Turk and Japanese. 

Not all alike, nor all at once, but each in proportion to intelli- 
gence, 

His purer state in morals, and a lesser grade in guilt : 

For the high-standard of the beautiful is fixed in Reason's 
Forum, 

And sins, and customs, and caprice, have failed to break it 
down : 

And reason's standard for the creature pointeth three perfec- 
tions, 

Frame, knowledge, and the feeling heart, well and kindly 
mingled : 

A fair dwelling, furnished wisely, with a gentle tenant in it, — 

This is the glory of humanity : thou hast seen it seldom. 

There is a beauty for the body ; the superficial polish of a 

statue, 
The symmetry of form and feature, delicately carved and 

piinted. 
How bright in early bloom the Georgian sitteth at her lattice. 
How softened off in graceful curves her young and gentle 

shape : 



238 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Those dark eyes, lit by curiosity, flash beneath the lashes, 

And still her velvet cheek is dimpled with a smile. 

Dost thou count her beautiful 1 — even as a mere fair figure, 

A plastic image, little more, the outer garb of woman : 

Yea, — and thus far it is well; but Reason's hopes are 

higher, — 
Can he sate his soul on a scantling third of beauty 1 

Yet is this the pleasing trickery, that cheateth half the 

world, 
Nature's wise deceit to make up waste in life : 
And few be they that rest uncauglit, for many a twig is 

limed ; 
Where is the wise among a million, that took not form for 

beauty 1 
But watch it well ; for vanity and sin, malice, hate, suspi- 
cion, 
Lowering as clouds upon the countenance, will disenchant 

its charms. « 

The needful complexity of beauty claimeth mind and soul, 
Though many coins of foul alloy pass current for the true : 
And albeit fairness in the creature shall often co-exist with 

excellence, 
Yet hath many an angel shape been tenanted by fiends. 
A man, spiritually keen, shall detect in surface beauty 
Those marring specks of evil, which the sensual cannot see ', 
Therefore is he proof against a face, unlovely to his likings, 
And common minds shall scorn the taste, that shrunk from 

sin's distortion. 



There is a beauty of the reason : grandly independent of 

externals. 
It looketh from the windows of the house, shining in the 

man triumphant. 
1 have seen the broad blank face of some misshapen dwarf 
Lit on a sudden as with glory, the brilliant light of mind : 



SERIES 11.] 



OF BEAUTY. 



239 



Who then imagined him deformed 1 intelligence is blazing 

on his forehead, 
There is empire in his eye, and sweetness on his lip, and his 

brown cheek glittereth with beauty ; 
And I have known some Nireus of the camp, a varnished 

paragon of chamberers,(7) 
Fine, elegant, and shapely, moulded as the master-piece of 

Phidias, — 
Such an one, with intellects abased, have I noted crouching 

to the dwarf, 
Whilst his lovers scorn the fool whose beauty hath departed I 



And there is a beauty for the spirit ; mind in its perfect 

flowering, 
Fragrant, expanded into soul, full of love and blessed. 
Go to some squalid couch, some famishing deathbed of the 

poor ; 
He is shrunken, cadaverous, diseased; there is here no 

beauty of the body : 
Never hath he fed on knowledge, nor drank at the streams 

of science. 
He is of the common herd, illiterate ; — there is here no beauty 

of the reason. 
But lo I his filming eye is bright with love from heaven, 
In every look it beameth praise, as worshipping with 

seraphs ; 
What honeycomb is hived upon his lips, eloquent of grati- 
tude and prayer, — 
What triumph shrined serene upon that clammy brow, 
What glory flickering transparent under those thin cheeks, — 
What beauty in his face . — Is it not the face of an angel 1 

Now, of these three, infinitely mingled and combined 
Consisteth human beauty, in all the marvels of its mightiness : 
And forth from human beauty springeth the intensity of 
Love ; 



240 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Feeling, thought, desire, the three deep fountains of affection. 

Son of Adam, or daughter of Eve, art thou trapped by nature, 

And is thy young eye dazzled with the pleasant form of 
beauty 1 

This is but a lower love ; still it hath its honor ; 

What God hath made and meant to charm, let not man de- 
spise. 

Nevertheless, as reason's child, look thou wisely further, 

For age, disease, and care, and sin, shall tarnish all the sur- 
face ; 

Reach a loftier love ; be lured hy the comeliness of mind, — 

Gentle, kind, and calm, or lustrous in the livery of know- 
ledge. 

And more there is a higher grade ; force the mind to its per- 
fection, — 

Win those golden trophies of consummate love : 

Add unto riches of the reason, and a beauty moulded to thy 
liking. 

The precious things of nobler grace that well adorn a soul ; 

Thus, be thou owner of a treasure, great in earth and hea- 
ven. 

Beauty, wisdom, goodness, — in a creature like its God. 



So then, draw we to an end : with feeble step and faltering, 

I follow beauty through the universe, and find her home 
Ubiquity: 

In all that God hath made, in all that man hath marred, 

Lingereth beauty or its wreck, a broken mould and castings. 

And now, having wandered long time, freely and with de- 
sultory feet. 

To gather in the garden of the world a few fair sample flow- 
ers, 

With patient scrutinizing care let us cull the conclusion of 
their essence, 

And answer to the riddle of Zorobabel, Whence the might of 
beauty? («) 



» 



SERIES II.] 



OF BEAUTY. 



241 



Ugliness is native imto nothing, but possible abstract evil : 
In everything created, at its worst, lurk the dregs of loveli- 
ness. 
We be fallen into utter depths, yet once we stood sublime. 
For man was made in perfect praise, his Maker's comely 

image : 
And so his new-born ill is spiced with older good, 
He carrieth with him, yea, to crime, the withered limbs of 

beauty. 
Passions may be crooked generosities ; the robber stealeth for 

his children ; 
Murder was avenger of the innocent, or wiped out shame 

with blood. 
Many virtues, weighted by excess, sink among the vices, 
Many vices, amicably buoyed, float among the virtues. 
For, albeit sin is hate, a foul and bitter turpitude, 
As hurling back against the Giver all his gifts with insult, 
Still, when concrete in the sinner, it will seem to partake of 

his attractions. 
And in seductive masquerade shall cloak its leprous skin; 
His broken lights of beauty shall illume its utter black, 
And those refracted rays glitter on the hunch of its deformity. 



Verily the fancy may be false, yet hath it met me in my 
musings 

(As expounding the pleasantness of pleasure, but no ways ex- 
tenuating license), 

That even those yearnings after beauty, in wayward wanton 
youth. 

When guileless of ulterior end, it craveth but to llbk upon 
the lovely. 

Seem like struggles of the soul, dimly remembering pre-exist- 
ence, 

And feeling in its blindness for a long-lost god, to satisfy its 
longing ; 

As if the sucking babe, tenderly mindful of his mother, 

21 



242 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Should pull a dragon's dugs, and drain the teats of poison. 
Our primal source was beauty, and we pant for it ever and 

again ; 
But sin hath stopped the way with thorns ; we turn aside, 

wander, and are lost. 

God, the undiluted good, is root and stock of beauty, 
And every child of reason drew his essence from that stem. 
Therefore, it is of intuition, an innate hankering for home, 
A sweet returning to the well, from which our spirit flowed, 
That we, unconscious of a cause, should bask these darkened 

souls 
In some poor relics of the light that blazed in primal beauty, 
And, even like as exiles of idolatry, should quaff from the 

cisterns of creation 
Stagnant draughts, for those fresh springs that rise in the 

Creator. 

Only, being burdened with the body, spiritual appetite is 

warped, 
And sensual man, with taste corrupted, drinketh of pollu- 
tions ; 
Impulse is left, but indiscriminate ; his hunger feasteth upon 

carrion ; 
His natural love of beauty doateth over beauty in decay. 
He still thirsteth for the beautiful ; but his delicate ideal 

hath grown gross. 
And the very sense of thirst hath been fevered from affection 

into passion. 
He remembereth the blessedness of light, but it is with an 

ol# man's memory, 
A blind old man from infancy, that once hath seen the sun. 
Whom long experience of night hath darkened in his cradle 

recollections, 
Until his brightest thought of noon is but a shade of black. 

This then is thy charm, O beauty, all pervading; 



I 



SERIES II.] 



OF FAME. 



243 



And this thy wondrous strength, O beauty, conqueror of all : 

The outline of our shadowy best, the pure and comely crea- 
ture, 

That winneth on the conscience with a saddening admira- 
tion : 

And some untutored thirst for God, the root of every pleasure, 

Native to creatures, yea in ruin, and dating from the birth- 
day of the soul. 

For God sealeth up the sum, confirmed exemplar of propor- 
tions, 

Rich in love, full of wisdom, and perfect in the plenitude of 
Beauty. (9) 



OF FAME. 



i 



Blow the trumpet, spread the wing, fling thy scroll upon the 
sky, 

Rouse the slumbering world, O Fame, and fill the sphere 
with echo : — 

Beneath thy blast they wake, and murmurs come hoarsely 
on the wind, 

And flashing eyes and bristling hands proclaim they hear 
thy message : 

Rolling and surging as a sea, that upturned flood effaces 

Hasteneth with its million tongues to spread the wondrous 
tale. 

The hum of added voices groweth to the roaring of a cata- 
ract. 

And rapidly from wave to wave is tossed that exaggerated 
story, 

Until those stunning clamors, gradually diluted in the dis- 
tance, 

Sink ashamed, and shrink afraid of noise, and die away. 

Then brooding Silence, forth from his hollow caverns, 



244 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Cloaked and cowled, and gliding along, a cold and stealthy 

shadow, 
Once more is mingled with the multitude, whispering as he 

walketh, 
And hushing all their eager ears to hear some newer Fame. 

So all is still again ; but nothing of the past hath been for- 
gotten ; 

A stirring recollection of the trumpet ringeth in the hearts of 
men; 

And each one, either envious or admiring, hath wished the 
chance were his 

To fill as thus the startled world with fame, or fear, or won- 
der. 

This lit thy torch of sacrilege, Ephesian Eratostratus ; ('o) 

This dug thy living grave, Pythagoras, the traveller from 
Hades ; 

For this, dived Empedocles into ^Etna's fiery whirlpool ; 

For this conquerors, regicides, and rebels, have dared their 
perilous crimes. 

In all men, from the monarch to the menial, lurketh lust of 
fame ; 

The savage and the sage alike regard their labors proudly : 

Yea, in death, the glazing eye is illumined by the hope of 
reputation. 

And the stricken warrior is glad, that his wounds are salved 
with glory. 



For fame is a sweet self-homage, an offering grateful to the 

idol, 
A spiritual nectar for the spiritual thirst, a mental food for 

mind, 
A pregnant evidence to all of an after immaterial existence, 
A proof that soul is scatheless, when its dwelling is dissolved. 
And the manifold pleasures of fame are sought by the guilty 

and the good ; 



SERIES II.] 



OF FAME. 



245 



Pleasures, various in kind, and spiced to every palate ; 

The thoughtful loveth fame as an earnest of better immor- 
tality, 

The industrious and deserving, as a symbol of just appre- 
ciation, 

The selfish, as a promise of advancement, at least to a man's 
own kin. 

And common minds as a flattering fact that men have been 
told of their existence. 

There is a blameless love of fame, springing from desire of 
justice, 

When a man hath featly v/on and fairly claimed his honors : 

And then fame cometh as encouragement to the inward con- 
sciousness of merit, 

Gladdening by the kindliness and thanks, wherewithal his 
labors are rewarded. 

But there is a sordid imitation, a feverish thirst for notoriety, 

Waiting upon vanity and sloth, and utterly regardless of de- 
serving : 

And then fame cometh as a curse : the fire-damp is gathered 
in the mine : 

The soul is swelled with poisonous air, and a spark of temp- 
tation shall explode it. 



Idle causes, noised awhile, shall yield most active conse- 
quents. 

And therefore it were ill upon occasion, to scorn the voice of 
rumor. 

Ye have seen the chemist in his art mingle invisible gases : 

And lo, the product is a substance, a heavy dark precipitate ; 

Even so fame, hurtling on the quiet with many meeting 
tongues, 

Can out of nothing bring forth fruits, and blossom on a nou- 
rishment of air. 

For many have earned honor, and thereby rank and riches, 

21* 



246 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



From false and fleeting tales, some casual mere mistake ; 

And many have been wrecked upon disgrace, and have strug- 
gled vTitti poverty and scorn, 

From envious hints and ill reports, the slanders cast on inno- 
cence. 

Whom may not scandal hit 1 those shafts are shot at a ven- 
ture: 

Who standeth not in danger of suspicion ? that net hath 
caught the noblest. 

Caesar's wife was spotless, but a martyr to false fame ; (") 

And Rumor, in temporary things, is gigantic as a ruin or a 
remedy. i 

Many poor and many rich have testified its popular omnipo- 
tence. 

And many a panic-stricken army hath perished with the host 
of the Assyrians. 



Nevertheless, if opportunity be naught, let a man bide his 
time; 

So the matter be not merchandise nor conquest, fear thou less 
for character. 

If a liar accuseth thee of evil, be not swift to answer ; 

Yea, rather give him license for a while : it shall help thine 
honor afterward ; 

Never yet was calumny engendered, but good men speedily 
discerned it. 

And innocence hath burst from its injustice, as the green 
world rolling out of Chaos. 

What though still the wicked scoff, this also turneth to his 
praise ; 

Did ye never hear that censure of the bad is buttress to a 
good man's glory 1 

What, if the ignorant still hold out, obstinate in unkind judg- 
ment, — 

Ignorance and calumny are paired ; we affirm by two nega- 
tions ; 



SERIES II.] OF FAME. 247 

Let them stand round about, pushing at the cohimn in a circle, 

For all their toil and wasted strength, the foolish do but prop it. 

And note thou this ; in the secret of their hearts, they feel 
the taunt is false, 

And cannot help but reverence the courage that walketh 
amid calumnies unanswering : 

He standeth as a gallant chief, unheeding shot or shell ; 

He trusted in God his Judge ; neither arrows nor the pesti- 
lence shall harm him. 



A high heart is a sacrifice to heaven ; should it stoop among 

the creepers in the dust, 
To tell them that what God approved is worthy of their 

praise 1 
Never shall it heed the thought ; but flaming on in triumph 

to the skies. 
And qiu'te forgetting fame, shall find it added as a trophy. 
A great mind is an altar on a hill ; should the priest descend 

from his altitude 
To canvass offerings and worship from dwellers on the plain ? 
Rather with mnjestic perseverance, will he minister in soli- 
tary grandeur, 
Confident the time will come when pilgrims shall be flocking 

>y to the shrine. 
For fame is the birthright of genius ; and he recketh not how 

long it be delayed : 
The heir need not hasten to his heritage, when he knoweth 

that his tenure is eternal. 
The careless poet of Avon, was he troubled for his fame. 
Or the deep-mouthed chronicler of Paradise, heeded he the 

suffrage of his equals 1 
Maeonides took no thought, committing all his honors to the 

future. 
And Flaccus, standing on his watch-tower, spied the praise 

of ages. (J2) 



248 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 

Smoking flax will breed a flame, and the flame may illumi- 
nate a world ; 

Where is he who scorned that smoke as foul and murky 
vapor 1 

The village stream swelled to a river, and the river was a 
kingdom's wealth, 

Where is he Avho boasted he could step across that stream 1 

Such are the beginnings of the famous ; little in the judg- 
ment of their peers. 

The juster verdict of posterity shall fix them in the orbits of 
the Great. 

Therefore dull Zoilus, clamoring ascendant of the hour, 

Will soon be fain to hide his hate, and bury up his bitter- 
ness for shame : 

Therefore mocking Momus, oflfended at the steps of Beau- 
ty, {'') 

Shall win the prize of his presumption, and be hooted from 
his throne among the stars. 

For, as the shadow of a mountain lengtheneth before the 
setting sun. 

Until that screening Alp have darkened all the Canton, — 

So, Fame groweth to its great ones ; their images loom larger 
in departing ; 

But the shadow of mind is light, and earth is filled with its 
glory. 



And thou, student of the truth, commended to the praise of 
God, 

Wouldst thou find applause with men t — seek it not, nor 
shun it ; 

Ancient fame is roofed in cedar, and her walls are marble ; 

Modern fame lodgeth in a hut, a slight and temporary dwel- 
ling : 

Lay not up the treasures of thy soul within so damp a cham- 
ber, 



SERIES II.J 



OF FAME. 



249 



For the moth of detraction shall fret thy robe, and drop its 
eggs upon thy motive ; 

Or the rust of disheartening reserve shall spoil the lustre of 
thy gold, 

Until its burnished beauty shall be dim as tarnished brass ; 

Or thieves, breaking through to steal, shall claim thy jew- 
elled thoughts, 

And turn to charge the theft on thee, a pilferer from them ! 



There is a magnanimity in recklessness of fame, so fame be 

well deserving, 
That rusheth on in fearless might, the conscious sense of 

merit ; 
And there is a littleness in jealousy of fame, looking as aware 

of weakness, 
That creepeth cautiously along, afraid that its title will be 

challenged. 
The wild boar, full of beechmast, flingeth him down among 

the brambles ; 
Secure in bristly strength, without a watch he sleepeth : 
But the hare, afraid to feed, croucheth in its own soft form ; 
WakefuUy with timid eyes, and quivering ears, he listeneth. 
Even so, a giant's might is bound up in the soul of Genius, 
His neck is strong with confidence, and he goeth tusked with 

power : 
Sturdily he roameth in the forest, or sunneth him in fen and 

field, 
And scareth from his marshy lair a host of fearful foes. 
But there is a mimic Talent, whose safety lieth in its quick- 
ness, 
A timorous thing of doubling guile, that scarce can face a 

friend : 
This one is cnptious of reproof, provident to snatch occasion, 
Greedy of applause, and vext to lose one tittle of the glory. 
He is a poor warder of his fame, who is ever on the watch to 

keep it spotless ; 



250 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Such care argueth debility, a garrison relying on its sentinel. 
Passive st ength shall scorn excuses, patiently waiting a re- 

ac on, 
He wott jth well that truth is great, and must prevail at 

last: 
But fretful weakness hasteth to explain, anxiously dreading 

prejudice, 
And ignorant that perishable falsehood dieth as a branch cut 

off. 



Purity of motive and nobility of mind shall rarely conde- 
scend 
To prove its rights, and prate of wrongs, or evidence its worth 

to others. 
And it shall be small care to the high and happy conscience 
What jealous friends, or envious foes, or common fools may 

judge. 
Should the lion turn and rend every snarling jackal. 
Or an eagle be stopt in his career to punish the petulance of 

sparrows 7 
Should the palm tree bend his crown to chide the briar at his 

feet, 
Nor kindly help its climbing, if it hope, and be ambitious ? 
Should the nightingale account it worth her pains to vindi- 
cate her music, 
Before some sorry finches, that affect to judge of song 1 
No : many an injustice, many a sneer, and slur, 
Is passed aside with noble scorn by lovers of true fame : 
For well they wot that glory shall be tinctured good or evil, 
By the character of those who give it, as wine is flavored by 

the wineskin : 
So that worthy Fame floweth only from a worthy fountain, 
But from an ill-conditioned troop, the best report is worth- 
less. 
And if the sensibility of genius count his injuries in secret, 
Wisely will he hide the pains a hardened herd would mock ; 



W^' 



I 



SERIES II.] 



OF FAME. 



251 



For the great mind well may be sad to note such littleness in 
brethren, 

The while he is comforted and happy in the firmest assur- 
ance of desert. 

Cease awhile, gentle scholar; — seek other thoughts and 

themes ; 
Or dazzling Fame with wildfire light will lure us on for 

ever. 
For look, all subjects of the mind may range beneath its 

banner. 
And time would fail and patience droop, to count that nume- 
rous host. 
The mine is deep, and branching wide, — and who can work 

it out 1 
Years of thought would leave untold the boundless topic, 

Fame. 
Every matter in the universe is linked in suchwise unto 

others, 
That a deep full treatise upon one thing might reach to the 

history of all things : 
And before some single thesis had been followed out in all 

its branches. 
The wandering thinker would be lost in the pathless forest of 

existence. 
What were the matter or the spirit, that hath no part in 

Fame? 
Where were the fact irrelevant, or the fancy out of place 1 
For the handling of that mighty theme should stretch from 

past to future. 
Catching up the present on its way, as a traveller burdened 

with time. 
All manner of men, their deeds, hopes, fortunes, and ambi- 
tions. 
All manner of events and things, climate, circumstance, and 

custom, 



R 



252 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series n. 



Wealth and war, fear and hope, contentment, jealousy, devo- 
tion, 
Skill and learning, truth, falsehood, knowledge of things gone 

and things to come, 
Pride and praise, honor and dishonor, warnings, ensamples, 

emulations, 
The excellent in virtues, and the reprobate in vice, with the 

cloud of indifferet spectators, — 
Wave on wave with flooding force throng the shoals of 

thought. 
Filling that immeasurable theme, the height and depth of 

Fame. 
With soul unsatisfied and mind dismayed, toy feet have 

touched the threshold. 
Fain to pour these flowers and fruits an oflferingon that altar: 
Lo, how vast the temple, — there are clouds within the dome ! 
Yet might the huge expanse be filled with volumes writ on 

Fame. 



OF FLATTERY. 



Music is commended of the deaf; — but is that praise des- 
pised 1 

I trow not: with flattered soul, the musician heard him 
gladly. 

Beauty is commended of the blind ; but is that compliment 
misliking 1 

I trow not ; though false and insincere, woman listened 
greedily. 

Vacant Folly talketh high of Learning's deepest reason : 

Is she hated for her hollowness 1 — learning held her wiser 
for the nonce. 

The worldly and the sensual, to gain some end, did homage 
to religion ; 



SERIES II.] 



OF FLATTERY. 



253 



And the good man gave thanks as for a convert, where others 
saw the hypocrite. 

Yet none of these were cheated at the heart, nor steadily 

believed those flatteries ; 
They feared the core was rotten, while they hoped the skin 

was sound : 
But the fruits have so sweet fragrance, and are verily so 

pleasant to the eyes, 
It were an ungracious disenchantment to find them apples 

of Sodom. 
So they labored to think all honest, winking hard with both 

their eyes ; 
And hushed up every whisper that could prove that praise 

absurd ; 
They willingly regard not the infirmities thut make such 

worship vain. 
And palliate to their own fond hearts the faults they will not 

see. 
For the idol rejoiceth in his incense, and loveth not to shame 

his suppliants, 
Should he seek to find them false, his honors die with theirs ; 
An offering is welcome for its own sake, set aside the giver, 
And praise is precious to a man, though uttered by the parrot 

or the mocking-bird 



The world is full of fools ; and sycophancy liveth on the 

foolish : 
So he groweth great and rich, that fawning subtle parasite. 
Sometimes he boweth like a reed, cringing to the pompous- 

ness of pride. 
Sometimes he strutteth as a gallant, pampering the fickleness 

of vanity : 
I have known him listen with the humble, enacting silent 

marveller, 

22 



254 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



To hear some purse-proud dunce expound his poverty of 

mind ; 
I have heard him wrangle with the obstinate, vowing that 

he will not be convinced, 
When some weak youth had wisely feared the chance of 

ill-success : 
Now, he will barely be a winner, — to magnify thy triumphs 

afterward : 
Now, he will hardly be a loser, — but cannot cease to wonder 

at thy skill : 
He laudeth his own worth, that the leader may have glory 

in his follower ; 
He meekly confesseth his unworthiness, that the leader may 

have glorj^ in himself. 
Many wiles hath he, and many modes of catching, 
But every trap is selfishness, and every bait is praise. 



Come, I would forewarn thee, and forearm thee ; for keen 
are the weapons of his warfare ; 

And while my soul hath scorned him, I have watched his 
skill from far. 

His thoughts are full of guile, deceitfully combining contrarie- 
ties, 

And when he doeth battle in a man, he is leagued with 
traitorous Self-love ; 

Strange things have I noted, and opposite to common fancy ; 

We leave the open surface, and would plumb the secret 
depths. 

For he will magnify a lover even to disparaging his mistress ; 

So much wisdom, goodness, grace, and all to be enslaved 1 

Till the Narcissus, self-enamored, whelmed in floods of flat- 
tery, 

Is cheated from the constancy and fervency of love by friend- 
ship's subtle praise. 

Moreover, he will glorify a parent, even to the censure of his 
child, — 



SERIES II.] 



OF FLATTERY. 



255 



■l\ 



O degenerate scion, of a stock so excellent and noble ! 

Scant will be in well-earned praise of a son before his father ; 

And rarely commendeth to a mother her daughter's budding 

beauty : 

Yet shall he extol the daughter to her father, and be warm 
about the son before his mother ; 

Knowing that self-love entereth not, to resist applause with 

jealousies. 
Wisely is he sparing of hyperbole where vehemence of praise 

would humble, 
For many a father liketh ill to be counted second to his son : 
And shrewdly the flatterer hath reckoned on a self still lurk- 
ing in the mother, 
When his tongue was slow to speak of graces in the daughter. 
But, if he descend a generation, to the grandsire his talk is of 

the grandson, 
Because in such high praise he hideth the honors of the son ; 
And the daughter of a daughter may well exceed, in beauty, 

love, and learning. 
For unconsciously old age perceived — she cannot be my 

rival. 
These are of the deep things of flattery : and many a shallow 

sycophant 
Hath marvelled ill that praise of children seldom won their 

parents. 
This therefore note, unto detection; flattery can sneer as 

well as smile ; 
And a master in the craft wotteth well that his oblique thrust 

is surest. 

Flattery sticketh like a burr, holding to the soil with an- 
chors, 

A vital, natural, subtle seed, everywhere hardy and indige- 
nous. 

Go to the storehouse of thy memory, and take what is readi- 
est to thy hand, — 



256 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



The noble deed, the clever phrase, for which thy pride was 
flattered : 

Oh, it hath been dwelt upon in solitude, and comforted thy 
heart in crowds, 

It hath made thee walk as in a dream, and lifted the head 
above thy fellows ; 

It hath compensated months of gloom, that minute of sweet 
sunshine, 

Drying up the pools of apathy, and kindling the fire of ambi- 
tion : 

Yea, the flavor of that spice, mingled in the cup of life, 

Shall linger even to the dregs, and still be tasted with a wel- 
come ; 

The dame shall tell her grandchild of her coy and courted 
youth, 

And the gre^^^beard prateth of a stranger, who praised his task 
at school. 



Ofttimes to the sluggard and the dull, flattery hath done 

good service. 
Quickening the mind to emulation, and encouraging the 

heart that failed. 
Even so, a stimulating poison, wisely tendered by the leech. 
Shall speed the pulse, and rally life, and cheat astonished 

death. 
For, as a timid swimmer ventureth afloat with bladders. 
Until self-confidence and growth of skill have made him 

spurn their aid. 
Thus commendation may be prudent, where a child hath ill 

deserved it ; 
But praise unmerited is flattery, and the curse will bring its 

cares : 
For thy son may find thee out, and thou shalt rue the remedy : 
Yea rather, where thou canst not praise, be honest in re- 
buke. 






SERIES II.J 



OF FLATTERY. 



257 



I have seen the object of a flatterer mirrored clearly on the 
surface, 

Where self love scattereth praise to gather praise again. 

This is a commodity of merchandise, words put out at inte- 
rest ; 

A scheme for canvassing opinions, and tinging them all with 
partiality. 

He is but a harmless fool ; humor him with pitiful good-na- 
ture : 

If a poetaster quote thy song, be thou tender to his poem : 

Did the painter praise thy sketch 1 be kind, commend his 
picture. 

He looketh for a like return ; then thank him with thy 
praise. 

In these small things w^ith these small minds count thou the 
sycophant a courtier, 

And pay back, as blindly as ye may, the too transparent 
honor. 



Also, where the flattery is delicate, coming unobtrusive and 

in season, 
Though thou be suspicious of its truth, be generous at least 

to its gentility. 
The skilful thief of Lacedaemon had praise before his judges, 
And many caitiffs win applause for genius in their calling. 
Moreover, his meaning may be kind, — and thou art a debtor 

to his tongue ; 
Hasten well to pay the debt, with charity and shrewdness : 
He must not think thee caught, nor feel himself discovered, 
Nor find thine answering compliment as hollow as his own. 
Though he be a smiling enemy, let him heed thee as the 

fearless and the friendly ; 
A searching look, a poignant word, may prove thou art 

aware : 
Still, with compassion to the frail, though keen to see his 

soul, 

22^^ 



258 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Let him not fear for thy discretion : see thou keep his se- 
cret, and thine own. 

However, where the flattery is gross, a falsehood clear and 

fulsome, 
Crush the venomous toad, and spare not for a jewel in his 

he id. 
Tell the presumptuous in flattery, that or ever he bespatter 

thee with praise, 
It might be well to stop and ask how little it were worth : 
Thou hast not solicited his suffrage, — let him not force thee 

to refuse it ; 
Look to it, man, thy fence is foiled, — and thus we spoil the plot. 
Self-knowledge gceth armed, girt with many weapons, 
But currieth whips for flattery, to lash it like a slave : 
But the dunce in that great science goeth as a greedy tunny, 
To gorge l)Oth bait and hook, unheeding all but appetite : 
He smelleth praise and swalloweth, — yea though it be palpa- 
ble and plain ; 
Say unto him. Folly thou art Wisdom, — he will bless thee 
for Thy lie. 



Flatterer, thou shalt rue thy trade, though it have many 

present gains ;" 
These varnished wares may sell apace, yet shall they spoil 

thy credit. 
Thine is the intoxicating cup, which whoso drinketh it shall 

nauseate ; 
Thine is trickery and cheating ; but deception never pleased 

for long. 
And though while fresh, thy fragrance seemed even as the 

dews of charity, 
Yet afterwards it fouled thy censer, as with savor of stale 

smoke. 
For the great mind detected thee at once, answering thine 

emptiness with pity. 



SERIES II.] 



OF FLATTERY. 



259 



He saw thy self-interested zeal, and was not cozened by vain- 
glory: 

And the little mind is bloated with the praise, scorning him 
who gave it, 

A fool shall turn to be thy tyrant, an thou hast dubbed him 
great : 

And the medium mind of common men, loving first thy music. 

After, when the harmonies are done, shall feel small comfort 
in their echoes ; 

For either he shall know thee false, conscious of contrary 
deservings, 

And, hating thee for falsehood, soon will scorn himself for 
truth ; 

Or, if in aught to toilsome merit honest praise be due. 

Though for a season, belike, his weakness hath been raptured 
at thy witching, 

Shall he not speedily perceive, to the vexing of his disap- 
pointed spirit, 

That thine exaggerative tongue hath robbed him of fair fame 1 

Thou hast paid in forgers' coins, and he had earned true 
money : 

For the substance of just praise thou hast put him off with 
shadows of the sycophant, 

Thou art all things to all men, for ends false and selfish. 

Therefore shalt be nothing unto any one, when those thine 
ends are seen 



Turn aside, young scholar, turn from the song of Flattery ! 
She hath the Siren's musical voice, to ravish and betray. 
Her tongue droppeth honey, but it is the honey of Anticyra ; 
Her face is a mask of fascination, but there hideth deformity 

behind ; * 

Her coming is the presence of a queen, heralded by courtesy 

and beauty, 
But, going away, her train is held by the hideous dwarf, 

Disgust. 



260 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 

Know thyself, thy evil as thy good, and flattery shall not 
harm thee : 

Yea, her speech shall be a warning, an humbling, and a guide. 

For wherein thou lackest most, there chiefly will the syco- 
phant commend thee, 

And then most w?.rmly will congratulate, when a man hath 
least deserved. 

Behold, she is doubly a traitor ; and will underrate her vic- 
tim's best, 

That, to the comforting of conscience, she may plead his 
worse for better. 



Therefore is she dangerous, — as every lie is dangerous: 
Believe her tales and perish ; if thou act upon such counsel. 
Her aims are thine, not thee, thy wealth and not thy welfare, 
Thy suffrage not thy safety, thins aid and not thine honor. 
Moreover, with those aims insured, ceaseth all her glozing ; 
She hath used thee as a handle, — but her hand was wise to 

turn it. 
Thus will she glorify her skill, that it deftly caught thy kind- 
ness. 
Thus will she scorn thy kindness, so pliable and easy to her 

skill. 
And then, the flatterer will turn to be thy foe, the bitterest 

and hottest, 
Because he oweth thee much hate to pay off many hum- 

blings. 
Thinkest thou now he is high, he loveth the remembrance of 

his lowliness. 
The servile manner, the dependent smile, the conscience 

self-abased ? 
No, this hour is his own, and the flatterer will be found a busy 

mocker ; 
He that hath salved thee with his tongue shall now gnash 

upon thee with his teeth, 



SERIES II.J 



OF FLATTERY. 



261 



Yea, he will be leader in the laugh,— silly one, to listen to 

thy loss, 
We scarce had hoped to lime and take another of the fools 

of flattery. 

At the last ; have charity, young scholar, — yea to the syco- 
phant convicted ; 

Be not a Brutus to thyself, nor stern in thine own cause. 

Pardon exaggerated praise ; for there is a natural impulse 

Spurring on the nobler mind, to color facts by feelings : 

Take an indulgent view of each man's interest in self, 

Be large and liberal in excuses ; is not that infirmity thine 
own 1 

Search thy soul and be humble ; and mercy abideth with 
humility ; 

So that, yea, the insincere, may find thee pitiful, and love 
thee. 

Mildly put aside, without rudeness of repulse, the pampering 
hand of flattery, 

For courtesy and kindness have gone beneath its guise, and 
ill shouldst thou rebuke them. 



Thou art incapable of theft : but flowers in the garden of a 
friend 

Are thine to pluck with confidence, and it were unfriendli- 
ness to hesitate : 

Thou abhorrest flattery : but a generous excess in praise 

Is thine to yield with honest heart, and false were the cha- 
rity to doubt it : 

The difference lieth in thine aim ; kindliness and good are 
of charity. 

But selfish, harmful, vile, and bad, is flattery's evil end. 



262 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



OF NEGLECT. 



Generous and righteous is thy grief, slighted child of sensi- 
bility ; 

For kindliness enkindle th love, but the waters of indifference 
quench it ; 

Thy soul is athirst for sympathy, and hungereth to find affec- 
tion, 

The tender scions of thy heart yearn for the sunshine of good 
feeling. 

And it is an evil thing and bitter, when the cheerful face of 
Charity, 

Going forth gaily in the morning to woo the world with 
smiles, 

Is met by those wayfaring men with coldness, suspicion, and 
repulse, 

And turneth into hard dead stone at the Gorgon visage of 
Neglect. 

brother, v.^arm and young, covetous of others' favor, 

1 see thee checked and chilled sorrowing for censure or for- 

ge tfulness. 

Let coarse and common minds despise — that wounding of 
thy vanity, 

Alas, I note a sorer cause, the blighting of thy love ; 

Let the callous sensual deride thee, disappointed of thy 
praise, 

Alas, thou hast a juster grief, defrauded of their kindness : 

It is a theme for tears to feel the soft heart hardening. 

The frozen breath of apathy sealing up the fountain of af- 
fection; 

It is a pang keen only to the best, to be injured well-deserv- 
ing, 

And slumbering Neglect is injurj?-, — could ye not watch one 
hour 1 



SERIES II.] 



OF NEGLECT. 



263 



When God himself complained, it was that none regarded, . 
And indifference bowed to rebuke. Thou gavest Me no kiss 
when I came in. 

Moreover, praise is good ; honor is a treasure to be hoard- 
ed; 

A good man's praise foreshadoweth God's and his smile is 
heaven : 

But men walk on in hardihood, steeling their sinfulness to 
censure, 

And where rebuke is ridiculed, the love of praise were an 
infirmity ; 

The judge thou heedest not in fear, cannot have deep ho- 
mage of thy hope, 

And who then is the wise of this world, that will own he 
trembleth at his fellows 1 

Calm, careless, and insensible, he mocketh blame or calumny. 

Neither should his dignity be humbled to some pittance of 
their praise •. 

The rather, let false pride affect to trample on the treasure 

Which evermore in secret strength unconquered Nature priz- 
eth ; 

Rather, shall he stifle now the rising bliss of triumph. 

Lest after, in the world's Neglect, he must acknowledge bit- 
terness. 



For lo, that world is wide, a huge and crowded continent, 
Its brazen sun is mammon, and its iron soil is care, 
A world full of men where each man clingeth to his idol ; 
A world full of men, where each man cherisheth his sor- 
row ; 
A world full of men, multitude shoaling upon multitude, 
A surging sea, where every wave is burdened with an argosy 

of self, 
A boundless beach, where every stone is a separate micro- 
scopic world, 



264 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series n. 



A forest of innumerable trees, where every root is indepen- 
dent. 

What then is the marvel or the shame, if units be lost 

among the million, 
Canst thou reasonably murmur, if a leaf drop off unnoticed 7 
Wondrous in architecture, intricate and beautiful, delicately 

tinged and scented. 
Exquisite of feeling and mysterious in life, none cared for its 

growth, or its decay : 
None 1 yea, — no one of its fellows, — nor cedar, palm, nor 

bramble, — 
None 1 its twinborn brother scarcely missed it from the 

spray : 
None? — if none indeed, then man's neglect were bitterness ; 
And life a land without a sun, a globe without a God ! 
Yea, flowers in the desert, there be that love your beauty. 
Yea, jewels in the sea, there be that prize your brightness : 
Children of unmerited oblivion, there be that watch and woo 

you. 
And many tend your sweets, with gentle ministering care : 
Thronging spirits of the happy, and the everpresent Good 

One, 
Yearning seek those precious things man hath not heart to 

love. 
Gems of the humblest or the highest, pure and patient in 

their kind, 
The souls unhardened by ill-usage, and uncorrupt by luxury. 



And ye, poor desolates unsunned, toilers in the dark damp 

mine. 
Wearied daughters of oppression, crushed beneath the car 

of avarice. 
There be that count your tears, — He hath numbered the hairs 

of thy head, — 
There be that can forgive you ill with kind considerate pity : 



SERIES II.] 



OF NEGLECT. 



285 



Couat ye tliis for comfort, Justice hath her balances, 
And yet another world can compensate for all : 
The daily martyrdom of patience shall not be wanting of re- 
ward ; 
Duty is a prickly shrub, but its flower will be happiness and 
glory. 

Ye too, the friendless, yet dependent, that find nor home nor 
lover, 

Sad imprisoned hearts, captive to the net of circum^'tance. — 

And ye, too harshly judged, noble unappreciated intellects, 

Who, capable of highest, lowlier fix your just ambition in 
content, 

And chiefest, ye, famished infants of the poor, toiling for 
your parents' bread, 

Tired, and sore, and uncomforted the while, for want of love 
and learning, 

Who struggle^ with the pitiless machine in dull continuous 
conflict, 

Tasked by iron men, who care for nothing but your labor, — 

Be ye long suffering and courageous ; abide the will of Hea- 
ven ; 

God is on your side ; all things are tenderly remembered : 

His servants here shall help you ; and where those fail you 
through Neglect, 

His kingdom still hath time and space for ample discrimina- 
tive Justice : 

Yea, though utterly on this bad earth ye lose both right and 
mercy, 

The tears that we forgat to note our God shall wipe away. 



Nevertheless, kind spirit, susceptible and guileless, — 
Meek uncherished dove, in a carrion flock of fowls. 
Sensitive mimosa, shrinking from the winds that help to 
root the fir, 

23 



266 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Fragile nautilus, shipwrecked in the gale whereat the conch 
is glad, 

Thy sharp peculiar grief is uncomforted by hope of compen- 
sation, 

For it is a delicate and spiritual wound, which the probe of 
pity bruiseth; 

Yet hear how many thoughts extenuate its pain ; 

Even while a kindred heart can sorrow for its presence. 

For the sting of neglect is in this, — that such as we are, all 
forget us, 

That men and w^omen, kith and kin, so lightly heed of 
other : 

Sympathy is lacking from the guilty such as we, even where 
angels minister. 

And souls of fine accord must prize a fellow-sinner's love : 

For the worst love those who love them, and the best claim 
heart for heart, 

And it is a holy thirst to long for love's requital : 

Hard it will be, hard and sad, to love and be unloved, 

And many a thorn is thrust into the side of him that is for- 
gotten. 

The oppressive silence of reserve, the frost of failing friend- 
ship. 

Affection bligbtedby repulse, or chilled by shallow courtesy, 

The unaided struggle, the unconsidered grief, the unesteemed 
self-sacrifice, 

The gift, dear evidence of kindness, long due, but never 
offered, 

The glance estranged, the letter flung aside, the greeting ill 
received. 

The services of unobtrusive care unthanked, perchance 
unheeded, 

These things, which hard men mock at, rend the feelings of 
the tender. 

For the delicate tissue of a spiritual mind is torn by those 
sharp barbs ] 



SERIES II.j 



OF NEGLECT. 



267 



The coldness of a trusted friend, a plenitude ending in 

vacuity, 
Is as if the stable world had burst a hollow bubble. 



But, consider, child of sensibility ; the lot of man is labor. 

Labor for the mouth, or labor in the spirit, labor stern and 
individual. 

Worldly cares and worldly hopes exact the thoughts of all. 

And there is a necessary selfishness rooted in each mortal 
breast. 

The plans of prudence, or the whisperings of pride, or all- 
absorbing reveries of love. 

Ambition, grief, or fear, or joy, set each man for himself: 

Therefore, the centre of a cycle, whereunto all the universe 
convergeth. 

Is seen in fallen solitude, the naked selfish heart : 

Stripped of conventional deceptions, untrammelled from the 
harness of society. 

We all may read one little word engraved on all we do ; 

Other men, what are they unto us 1 the age, the mass, the 
million, — 

We segregate, distinct from generalities, that isolated particle, 
a self: 

It is the very law of our life, a law for soul and body, 

An earthly law for earthly men, toiling in responsible proba- 
tion. 

For each is the all unto himself, disguise it as we may. 

Each infinite, each most precious : yet even as a nothing to 
his neighbor. 

O consider, we be crowding up an avenue, trapped in the 
decoy of time. 

Behind us the irrevocable past, before us the illimitable fu- 
ture. 

What wonder is there, if the traveller, wayworn, hopeful, 
fearful, 

Burdened himself, so lightly heed the burden of his brother 1 



268 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



How shoiildst thou marvel and be sad that the pilgrims trou- 
ble not to learn thee, 

When ouch hath to master for himself the lessons of Ufe and 
immortality 1 

Moreover, what art thou, — so vainly impitient of Neglect 1 
Where then is thy worthiness, that so thou claimest honor? 
Let the true judgmeut of humility reckon up thine ill deserts, 
How little is there to be loved, how much to stir up scorn 1 
The double heart, the bitter tongue, the rash and erring 

spirit, 
Be these, ye purest smong men, your passports into fiver 1 
It is mercy in the Merciful, and juitice in the Ja:t, to be 

jealous of his creature's love. 
But how should evil or duplicity arrogate affection to itself? 
Where love is happiness and duty, to be j salons of ihat love 

is godlike. 
But who can reverence the guilty 1 who findeth pleasure in 

the mean 1 
Check the presumption of thy hopes : thankfully take refuge 

in obscurity. 
Or, if thou claimest merit, thy sin shall be proclaimed upon 

the housetops. 



Yet again : consider them of old, the good, the great, the 
learned. 

Who have blessed the world by wisdom, and glorified their 
God by purity. 

Did those speed in favor? were they the loved and the 
admired 1 

Was every prophet had in honor? and every deserving one 
remembered to his praise ? 

What sh;ill I say of ^'onder band, a glorious cloud of wit- 
nesses, 

The scorned, defamed, insulted, — but the excellent of 
earth ? 



SERIES II.] 



OF NEGLECT. 



269 



It were weariness to count up noble names, neglected in 
their lives, 

Whom none esteemed, nor cared to love, till death had 
sealed them his. 

For good men are the health of the world, valued only when 
it perisheth, 

Like water, light, and air, all precious in their absence. 

Yv'ho hath considered the blessing of his breath, till the poi- 
son of an asthma struck him 1 

Who hath regarded the just pulses of his heart, till spasm or 
paralysis have stopped them 1 

Even thus, an unobserved routine of daily grace and wis- 
dom, 

When no more here, had worship of a world, whose peni- 
tence atoned for its neglect. 

And living genius is seen among infirmities, wherefrom the 
commoner are free ; 

And other rival men of mind crowd this arena of contention; 

And there be many cares ; and a man knoweth little of his 
brother ; 

Feebly we appreciate a motive, and slowly keep pace with a 
feeling ; 

And social difference is much ; and experience teacheth 
sadly, 

How great the treachery of friends, how dangerous the cour- 
tesy of enemies. 

So, the sum of all these things operateth largely upon all 
men, 

Hedging us about with thorns, to cramp our yearning sym- 
pathies. 

And we grow materialized in mind, forgetting what we see 
not. 

But, immersed in perceptions of the present, keep things 
absent out of thought : 

Thus, where ingratitude, and guilt, and labor, and selfishness 

would harden, 

23* 



270 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 

Humbly will the good man bow, unmurmuring, to Neglect. 

Yet once more, griever at neglect, hear me to thy comfort, 
or rebuke ; 

For, after all thy just complaint, the world is full of love. 

O heart of childhood, tender, trusting, and affectionate, 

O youth, warm youth, full of generous attentions, 

O woman, self-forgetting woman, poetry of human life, 

And not less thou, O man, so often the disinterested brother. 

Many a smile of love, many a tear of pity. 

Many a word of comfort, many a deed of magnanimity, 

Many a stream of milk and honey pour ye freely on the 
earth, 

And many a rosebud of love rejoiceth in the dew of your 
affection. 

Neglect 7 O liberal world, for thine are many prizes. 

Neglect? O charitable world, where thousands feed on 
bounty ; 

Neglect ? O just world, for thy judgments err not often ; 

Neglect 1 O libel on a world, where half that world is wo- 
man ! 

Where is the afflicted, whose voice, once heard, stirreth not 
a host of comforters 1 

Where is the sick untended, or in prison, and they visited 
him not 1 

The hungry is fed, and the thirsty satisfied, till ability set 
limits to the will. 

And those who did it unto them, have done it "unto God ! 

For human benevolence is large, though many matters 
dwarf it. 

Prudence, ignorance, imposture, and the straitenings of cir- 
cumstance and time. 

And if to the body, so to the mind, the mass of men are 
generous ; 

Their estimate who know us best, is seldom seen to err: 

B<3 sure the fault is thine, as pride, or shallowness, or vanity, 



rr 



SERIES II.] 



OF CONTENTMENT. 



271 



If all aronnd thee, good and bad, neglect thy seeming merit : 
No man yet deserved, who found not some to love him ; 
And he that never kept a friend need only blame himself: 
Many for unworthiness will droop and die, but all are not 

unworthy ; 
It must indeed be cold clay soil that killeth every seed. 
Therefore examine thy state, O self-accounted martyr of 

Neglect, 
It may be, thy merit is a cubit, and thy measure thereof a 

furlong : 
But grant it greater than thy thoughts, and grant that men 

thy fellows. 
For pleasure, business, or interest, misuse, forget, neglect 

thee, — 
Still be thou conqueror in this, the consciousness of high 

deservings ; 
Let it suffice thee to be worthy ; faint not thou for praise ; 
For that thou art, be grateful ; go humbly even in thy confi- 
dence ; 
And set thy foot upon the neck of an enemy so harmless as 

Neglect. 



If. 



OF CONTENTMENT. 



Godliness with Contentment, — these be the pillars of feli- 
city, 

Jachin, wherewithal it is established, and Boaz, in the which 
is strength ; (H) 

And upon their capitals is lily-work, the lotus fruit and 
flower, 

Those fair and fragrant types of holiness, innocence, and 
beauty ; 

Great gain pertaineth to the pillars, nets and chains of 
wreathen gold, 



'A 



272 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



And they stand up straight in the temple porch, the house 
where Glory dwelleth. 

The body craveth meats, and the spirit is athirst for peace- 
fulness ; 

He that hath these, hath enough ; for all beyond is vanity. 

Surfeit vaulteth over pleasure, to light upon the hither side 
of pain ; 

And great store is great care, the rather if it mightily in- 
creaseth. 

Albeit too little is a trouble, 3'et too much shall swell into an 
evil. 

If wisdom stand not nigh to moderate the wishes : 

For covetousness never had enough, but moaneth at its wants 
for ever. 

And rich men have commonly more need to be taught conr 
tentment than the poor. 

That hungry chasm in their market-place gapeth still un- 
satisfied, 

Yea, fling in all the wealth of Rome, — it asketh higher vic- 
tims ; 

So, when the miser's gold cannot fill the measure of his lust, 

Curtius must leap into the pit, and avarice shall close upon 
his life. (15) 



Behold Independence in his rags, all too easily contented, 
Careful for nothing, thankful for much, and uncomplaining 

in his poverty : 
Such an one have I somewhile seen earn his crust with 

gladness ; 
He is a gatherer of simples, culling wild herbs upon the hills : 
And now, as he sitteth on the beach, with his motherless 

child beside him. 
To rest them in the cheerful sun, and sort their mints and 

horehound, — 



r 



SERIES II.] 



OF CONTENTMENT. 



273 



Tell me, can ye find upon his forehead the cloud of covetous 

anxiety, 
Or note the dull unkindled eyes of sated sons of pleasure 1 — 
For there is more joy of life with that poor picker of the 

ditches, 
Than among the multitude of wealthy who wed their gains 

to discontent. 

I HAVE seen many rich, burdened with the fear of poverty, 
• I have seen many poor buoyed with all the carelessness of 

wealth ; 
For the rich had the spirit of a pauper, and the moneyless a 

liberal heart ; 
The first enjoyeth not for having, and the latter hath nothing 

but enjoyment. 
None is poor but the mean in mind, the timorous, the weak, 

and unbelieving ; 
None is wealthy but the affluent in soul, who is satisfied and 

floweth over. 
The poor-rich is attenuate for fears, the rich-poor is fattened 

upon hopes ; 
Cheerfulness is one man's welcome, and the other warneth 

him by his gloom. 
Many poor have the pleasures of the rich, even in their own 

possessions ; 
And many rich miss the poor man's comforts, and yet feel 

all his cares. 
Liberty is affluence, and the Helots of anxiety never can be 

counted wealthy ; 
But he that is disenthralled from fear, goeth for the time a 

king; 
He is royal, great, and opulent, living free of fortune, 
And looking on the world as owner of its good, the Maker's 

child and heir : 
Whereas the covetous is slavish, a very Midas in his avarice, 
Full of dismal dreams, and starved amongst his treasures : 



274 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



The ceaseless spur of discontent goaded him with instant 

apprehension, 
And his thirst for gold could never be quenched, for he drank 

with the throat of Crassus. (i6) 

Vanity and dreary disappointment, care, and weariness, and 

envy : 
Vanity is graven upon all things ; wisely spake the preacher. 
For ambition is a burning mountain, thrown up amid the 

turbid sea, 
A Stromboli in sullen pride above the hissing waves ; 
And the statesman climbing there, forgetful of his patriot in- 
tentions, 
Shall hate the strife of each rough step, or ever lie hath toiled 

midway : 
And every truant from his home, the happy home of duty, 
Shall live to loathe his eminence of cares, that seething 

smoke and lava. 
Contentment is the temperate repast, flowing with milk and 

honey ; 
Ambition is the drunken orgy, fed by liquid flames : 
A black and bitter frown is stamped upon the forehead of 

Ambition, 
But fair Contentment's angel-face is rayed with winning 

smiles. 

There was in Tyre a merchant, the favorite child of fortune, 

An opulent man with many ships, to trade in many climes; 

And he rose up earl}'^ to his merchandise, after feverish 
dreaming, 

And lay down late to his hot unrest, overwhelmed with cal- 
culated cares. 

So, day by day, and month by month, and year by year, he 
gained ; 

And grew grey, and waxed great ; for money brought him 
all things. 

All things ? — verily not all ; the kernel of the nut is lacking, — 



SERIES II.] 



OF CONTENTMENT. 



275 



His mind was a stranger to content, and as for peace he knew 

her not: 
Luxuries palled upon his palate and his eyes were satiate 

with purple ; 
He could coin much gold, but buy no happiness with it. 
And on a day, a day of dread, in the heat of inordinate am- 
bition, 
When he threw with a gambler's hand, to lose or to double 

his possessions. 
The chance hit him, — he had speculated ill, — and men began 

to whisper ; — 
Those he trusted, failed ; and their usuries had bribed him 

deeply: 
One ship fouimered out at sea, — and another met the pirate, — 
And so, with broken fortunes, men discreetly shunned him. 
He was a stricken stag, and went to hide away in solitude. 
And there in humility, he thought, — he resolved, and 

promptly acted : 
From the wreck of all his splendors, from the dregs of the 

goblet of affluence. 
He saved with management a morsel and a drop, for his 

daily cup and platter : 
And lo, that little was enough and in enough was competence : 
His cares were gone, — he slept by night, and lived at peace 

by day ; 
Cured of his guilty selfishness, — money's love, envy, compe- 
tition, — 
He lived to be thankful in a cottage that he had lost a palace : 
For he found in his abasement, what he had vainly sought in 

high estate, 
Both mind and body well at ease, though robed in the russet 

of the lowly. 



Once more , a certain priest, happy in his high vocation. 
With faith, and hope, and charity, well served his village 
altar ; 



276 



PEOVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



As men count riches, he was poor ; but great were his trea- 
sures in heaven, 

And great his joys on earth, for God's sake doing good : 

He had few cares and many consolations, one of the welcome 
everywhere ; 

The laborer accounted him his friend, and magnates did him 
honor at their table : 

With a large heart and little means he still made many 
grateful, 

And felt as the centre of a circle, of calmness, and content. 

But on a weaker sabbath, — for he preached both well and 
wisely, — 

Some casual hearer loudly praised his great neglected talents : 

Why should he be buried in obscurity, and throw these 
pearls to swine ? 

Could he not still be doing good, — the whilst he pushed his 
fortunes 1 

Then came temptation, even on the spark of discontent ; 

The neighboring town had a pulpit to be filled : hotly did he 
canvass and won it : 

Now was he popular and courted and listened to the spell of 
admiration, 

And toiled to please the taste, rather than to pierce the con- 
science. 

Greedily he sought, and seeking found, the patronizing notice 
of the great ; 

He thirsted for emoluments and honors, and counted rich 
men happy : 

So he flattered, so he preached ; and gold and fame flowed in ; 

They flowed in, — he was reaping his reward, — and felt him- 
self a fool. 

Alas, what a shadow was he following, — how precious was 
the substance he had left ! 

Man for God, gold for good, this was his miserable bargain, 

The village church, its humble flock, and humbler parish 
priest, 



SERIES II.] 



OF LIFE. 



277 



Zeal, devotion, and approving heaven, — his books and simple 
life, 

His little farm and flower beds, — his recreative rambles with 
a friend, 

And haply at eventide the leaping trouts, to help their hum- 
ble fare, — 

All these wretchedly exchanged for what the world called 
fortune. 

With the harrowing conscience of a state relapsed to vain 
ambitions. 

Then, — for God was gracious to his soul, his better thoughts 
returned, 

And better aims with better thoughts, his holy walk of old. 

Sickened of style, and ostentation, and the dissipative fash- 
ions of society. 

He deserted from the ranks of Mammon, and renewed his 
allegiance to God : 

For he found that the praises of men, and all that gold can 
give, 

Are not worthy to be named against godliness and calm 
contentment. 



OF LIFE. 



A CHILD was playing in a garden, a merry little child, 

Bounding with triumphant health and full of happy fancies ; 

His kite was floating in the sunshine, — but he tied the string 
to a twig, 

And ran among the roses to catch a new-born butterfly ; 

^lIs horn-book lay upon a bank, but the pretty truant hid it 

Buried up in gathered grass, and moss, and sweet wild- 
thyme ; 

He launched a paper boat upon the fountain, — then wayward 
turned aside, 

24 



278 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



To twine some vagrant jessamines about the dripping mar- 
ble r 
So, in various pastime, shadowing the schemes of manhood, 
That curly-headed boy consumed the golden hours : 
And I blessed his glowing face, envying the merry little child, 
As he shouted with the ecstasy of being, clapping his hands 

for jo3'fulness : 
For I said. Surely, O Life, thy name is happiness and hope, 
Thy days are bright, thy flowers are sweet, and pleasure the 
condition of thy gift. 

A YOUTH was walking in the moonlight, w^alking not alone, 
For a fair and gentle maid leant on his trembling arm : 
Their whispering was still of beauty, and the light of love 

w^as in their eyes, 
Their twin young hearts had not a thought unvowed to love 

and beauty : 
The stars, and the sleeping world, and the guardian eye of 

God, 
The murmur of the distant waterfall, and nightingales war- 
bling in the thicket. 
Sweet speech of years to come, and promises of fondest hope, 
And more, a present gladness in each other's trust ; 
All these fed their souls with the hidden manna of affection, 
While their faces shone beatified in the radiance of reflected 

Eden: 
I gazed on that fond youth, and coveted his heart. 
Attuned to holiest symphonies, with music in its strings ; 
For I said. Surely, O Life, thy name is love and beauty, 
Thy joys are full, thy looks most fair, thy feelings pure and 
sensitive. 



A MAN sat besi(^ his merchandise, a careworn altered man, 
His waking hope, his nightly fear, were money and its 

losses : 
Rarely was the laugh upon his cheek, except in bitter scorn, 



f 



SERIES II.] 



OF LIFE. 



279 



For his foolisliness of heart, and the lie of its romance, 

counting Love a treasure. 
His talk is of stern Reality, chilling, unimaginative facts, 
The dull material accidents of this sensual body ; 
Lucreless honor were contemptible, impoverished affection 

but a pauper's riches, 
Duty, struggling unrewarded, the bargain of a cheated fool ; 
The market value of a fancy must be measured by the gain 

it bringeth, 
No man is fed or clothed by fame, or love, or duty : — 
So toiled he day by day, that cold and joyle^^s man ; 
I gazed upon his haggard face and sorrowed for the change : 
For I said, Surely, O Life, thy name is care and weariness, 
Thy soil is parched, thy winds are fierce, and the suns above 

thee hardening. 



A WITHERED elder lay upon his bed, a desolate man and 

feeble ; 
His thoughts were of the past, the early past, the bygone 

days of youth : 
Bitterly repented he the years stolen by the god of this 

world : 
Remembering the maiden of his love, and the heart-stricken 

wife of his selfishness. 
For the sunshiny morning of life came again to him a vivid 

truth, 
But the years of toil as a long dim dream, a cloudy blighted 

noon: 
He saw the nutting schoolboy, but forgat the speculative 

merchant ; 
The calloiis, calculating husband was shamed by the gene- 
rous lover ; 
He knew that the weeds of worldliness, and the smoky 

breath of Mammon, 
Had choked and killed those tender shoots, his yearnings 

after honor and affection : 



280 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



So was he sick at heart, and my pity strove to cheer him, 
But a deep and dismal gulf lay between comfort and his 

soul. 
Then I said, Surely, O Life, thy name is vanity and sorrow. 
Thy storms at noon are many, and thine eventide is clouded 

by remorse. 

Now, when I thought upon these things, my heart was 

grieved within me : 
I wept with bitterness of speech, and these were the words 

of my complaining : 
*' Wherefore then must happiness and love wither into care 

and vanity, — 
Wherefore is the bud so beautiful, but flower and fniit so 

blighted ? 
Hard is the lot of man ; to be lured by the meteor of romance, 
Only to be snared, and to sink, in the turbid mudpooJ of 

reality." 

Suddenly, a light, — and a rushing presence, — and a con- 
sciousness of something near me, — 

I trembled, and listened, and prayed : then I knew the Angel 
of Life : 

Vague, and dimly visible, mine eye could not behold him. 

As, calmly unimpassioned, he looked upon an erring crea- 
ture : 

Unseen, my spirit apprehended him ; though he spake not, 
yet I heard ; 

For a sympathetic communing with him flashed upon my 
mind electric. 



Pensioner of God, be grateful ; the gift T)f Life is good : 
The life of heart, and life of soul, mingled with life for the 

body. 
Gladness and beauty are its just inheritance, — the beauty 

thou hast counted for romance : 



SERIES II. J 



OF LIFE. 



1281 



I 



And guardian spirits weep that selfishness and sorrow should 
destroy it. 

Thou hast seen the natural blessing marred into a curse by- 
man; 

Come then, in fever will I show thee the proper excellence 
of life. 

Keep thou purity, and watch against suspicion, — love shall 
never perish ; 

Guard thine innocency spotless, and the buoyancy of child- 
hood shall remain. 

Sweet ideals feed the soul, thoughts of loveliness delight it, 

The chivalrous affection of uncalculating youth lacketh not 
honorable wisdom. 

Charge not folly on invisibles, that render thee happier and 
purer, 

The fair frail visions of Romance have a use beyond the 
maxims of the Real. 



2 
K^^ 



Behold, a patriarch of years, who leaneth on the staff of 

religion ; 
His heart is fresh, quick to feel, a bursting fount of generosity ; 
He, playful in his wisdom, is gladdened in his children's 

gladness. 
He, pure in his experience, lovelh in his son's first love : 
Lofty aspirations, deep affections, holy hopes are his delight ; 
His abhorrence is to strip from Life its charitable garment of 

Ideal. 
The cold and callous sneerer, who heedeth of the merely 

practical, 
And mocketh at good uses in imaginary things, that man is 

his scorn : 
The hard unsympathizing modern, filled with facts and 

figures. 
Cautious, and coarse, and materialized in mind, that man is 

his pity. 

Passionate thirst for. gain never hath burnt within his bosom, 

24* 



282 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



The leaden chains of that dull lust have not bound him 
prisoner : 

The shrewd world laughed at him for honesty, the vain 
world mouthed at him for honor, 

The false world hated him for truth, the cold world despised 
him for affection : 

Still, he kept his treasure, the warm and noble heart, 

And in that happy wise old man survive the child and lover. 

For human life is as Chian wine, flavored unto him who 
drinketh it. 

Delicate fragrance comforting the soul, as needful substance 
for the body : 

Therefore, see thou art pure and guileless ; so shall thy Reali- 
ties of Life 

Be sweetened, and tempered, and gladdened by the whole- 
some spirit of Romance. 



Dost thou live, man, dost thou live, — or only breathe and 

labor 1 
Art thou free, or enslaved to a routine, the daily machinery 

of habit 1 
For one man is quickened into Life, where thousands exist 

as in a torpor. 
Feeding, toiling, sleeping, an insensate weary round : 
The plough, or the ledger, or the trade, with animal cares 

and indolence. 
Make the mass of vital years a heavy lump unleavened, 
Drowsily lie down in thy dullness, fettered with the irons of 

circumstance, 
Thou wilt not wake to think and feel a minute in a month. 
The epitome of common life is seen in the common epitaph, 
Born on such a day, and dead on such another, with an 

interval of threescore years. 
For tune hath been wasted on the senses, to the hourly 

diminishing of spirit; 



Ib'' 



SERIES II. J 



OF LIFE. 



283 



Lean is the soul and pineth, in the midst of ab mdance for 

the body : 
He forg it the worlds to which he tended, and a creature's true 

nobility, 
Nor wished that hope and wholesome fear should etir him 

from his hardened satisfaction. 
And this is deith in life ; to be sunk beneath the waters of 

the ActiiKl, 
Without one feebly-struggling sense of an airier spiritual 

re ilm : 
AtTeclion, fancy, feeling — dead ; in agination, conscience, 

fiith, 
All wilfully expunged, till they leave he man mere carcase. 
See thou livest, whiles thou art : foi heart must live, and 

soul, 
But care and sloth and sin and self, combine to kill that life. 
A man will grow to an automaton, an appendage to the 

counter or the desk, 
If mind and spirit be not roused to raise the plodding gro- 
veller. 
Then praise God for sabbaths, for books, and dreams, and 

pains. 
For the recreative face of nature, and the kindling charities 

of home : 
And remember, thou that laborest, — thy leisure is not loss, 
If it help to expose and undermine that solid falsehood, the 

Material. 



Life is a strange avenue of various trees and flowers ; 
Lightsome at commencement, but darkening to its end in a 

distant massy portal. 
It beginneth as a little path, edged with the violet and prim- 
rose, 
A little path of lawny grass, and soft to tiny feet : 
Soon, spring thistles in the way, those early griefs of school, 
And fruit-trees ranged on either hand show holiday delights : 



»s"»^w»«wm 



284 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series u. 



Anon, the rose and the mimosa hint at sensitive affection, 
And vipers hide among the grass, and briars are woven in 

the hedges : 
Shortly, staked along in order, stand the slender saplings, 
While hollow hemlock and tall ferns fill the frequent inter- 
val : 
So advancing, quaintly mixed, majestic line the way 
Sturdy oaks, and vigorous elms, the beech and forest-pine : 
And here the road is rough with rocks, wide, and scant of 

herbage. 
The sun is hot in heaven, and the ground is cleft and 

parched : 
And many-times a hoU iw-trunk, decayed or lightning scathed, 
Or in its deadly solitu e, the melancholy upas : 
But soon, with closer ranks, are set the sentinel trees. 
And darker shadows hover amongst Autumn's mellow tints : 
Ever and anon, a holly, — junipers, and cypresses, and yews ; 
The soil is damp : the air is chiii ; night cometh on apace : 
Speed to the portal, traveller, — lo, there is a moon. 
With smiling light to guide thee safely through the dreadful 

shade : 
Hark, — that hollow knock, — behold, the warder openeth, 
The gate is gaping, and for thee j — those are the jaws of 
Death ! 



OF DEATH, 



Keep silence, daughter of frivolity, — for Death is in that 

chamber ! 
Startle not with echoing sound the strangely solemn peace, 
Death is here in spirit, watcher of a marble corpse, — 
That eye is fixed, that heart is still, — how dreadful in its 

stillness I 
Death, new tenant of the house, pervadeth all the fabric ; 



r 



SERIES II.] 



OF DEATH. 



28! 



He waiteth at the head, and he standeth at the feet, and 
hideth in the caverns of the breast : 

Death, subtle leech, hath anatomized soul from body, 

Dissecting well in every nerve its spirit from its substance; 

Death, rigid lord, hath claimed the heriot clay, 

While joyously the youthful soul hath gone to take his 
heritage ; 

Death, cold umrer, hath seized his bonded debtor; 

Death, savage despot, hath caught his forfeit serf; 

Death, blind foe, vvreaketh petty vengeance on the flesh ; 

De ith, fell cannibal, gloateth on his victim, 

And carrieth it with him to the grave, that dismal banquet- 
hall, 

Where in foul state the Royal Ghoul holdeth secret orgies. 



Hide it up, hide it up, draw the decent curtain : 

Hence ! curious fool, and pry not on corruption : 

For the fearful mysteries of change are being there enacted, 

And many actors play their part on that small stage, the 
tomb. 

Leave the clay, that leprous thing, touch not the fleshly gar- 
ment : 

Dust to dust, it mingleth well among the sacred soil : 

It is scattered by the winds, it is wafted by the waves, it 
mixeth with herbs and cattle, 

But God hath watched those morsels, and hath guided them 
in c ire : 

Each waiting soul must claim his own, when the archangel 
soundeth. 

And all the fields, and all the hills, shall move a mass of life; 

Bodies numberless, crowding on the land, and covering the 
trampled sea. 

Darkening the air precipitate, and gathered scatheless from 
the fire ; * 

The Him »l lyan peaks shall yield their charge, and the deso- 
late steppes of Siberia, 



! 



286 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



The Maelstrom disengulf its spoil, and the iceberg manumit 
its captive : 

All shall teem with life, the converging fragments of human- 
ity, 

Till every conscious essence greet his individual frame ; 

For in some dignified similitude, alil^e, yet different in glory, 

This body shall be shaped anew, fit dwelling for the soul : 

The hovel hath grown to a palace, the bulb hath burst into 
the flower. 

Matter hath put on incorruption, and is at peace with spirit. 

Amen, — and so it shall be : — but now the scene is drear, — 
Yea, though promises and hope strive to cheat its sadness ; 
Full of grief, though faith herself is strong to speed the soul, 
For the partner of its toil is left behind to endure an ordeal 

of change. 
Dear partner, dear and frail, my loved though humble 

home. 
Should I cast thee off without a pang, as a garment flung 

aside 1 
Many years, for joy and sorrow, have I dwelt in thee, 
How shall I be reckless of thy weal, nor hope for thy per- 
fection 1 
This also, He that lent thee for my uses in mortality. 
Shall well fulfil with boundless praise on that returning day : 
Behold, thou shalt be glorified ; thou, mine abject friend, — 
And should I meanly scorn thy state, until it rise to great- 
ness 1 
Far be it, O my soul, from thine expectant essence, 
To be heedless, if indignity or folly desecrate those thine 

ashes : 
Keep them safe with careful love ; and let the mound be 

holy ; 
And, thou that passest by, revere the waiting dead. 

Naples sitteth by the sea, keystone of an arch of azure, 



SERIES II.] 



OF DEATH. 



287 



Crowned by consenting nations peerless queen of gaiety : 
She laugheth at the wrath of Ocean, she mocketh the fliry 

of Vesuvius, 
She spurneth disease and misery and famine, that crowd her 

sunny streets : 
The giddy dance, the merry song, the festal glad procession. 
The noonday slumber and the midnight serenade, — all these 

make up her Life : 
Her Life 1 — and what her Death 1 — look we to the end of 

life,— 
Solon, and Tellus the Athenian, wisely have ye pointed to 

the grave, 
For behold yon dreary precinct, — those hundreds of stone 

wells,— (17) 

A pit for a day, a pit for a daj', — a pit to be sealed for a year : 
And in the gloom of night they raise the year-closed lid, — 
Look in, — for gnawing lime hath half consumed the carcases f 
Thus, they hurl the daily dead into that horrible pit. 
The dead that only died this day, — an unconsidered offal ! 
There, a stark white heap, unwept, unloved, uncared for, 
Old men and maidens, young men and infants, mingle in 

hideous corruption : 
Fling in the gnawing lime, — seal up the charnel for a year ; 
For lo, a morrow's dawn hath tinged the mountain summit. 
O fair false city, thou gay and gilded harlot. 
Woe, for thy wanton heart, woe, for thy wicked hardness ! 
Woe unto thee, that, the lightsomeness of Life, beneath 

Italian suns, 
Should meet the solemnity of Death, in a sepulchre so foul 

and fearful. 



For that, even to the best, the wise and pure and pious, 
Death, repulsive king, thine iron rule is terrible : 
Yea, and even at the best, in company of buried kindred, 
With hallowing rites, and friendly tears, and the dear old 
country church, . , 



288 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Death, cold and lonely, thy frigid face is hateful, 

The bravest look on thee with dread, the humblest curse thy 
coming. 

Still, ye unwise among mankind, your foolishness hath added 
fears ; 

The crowded cemetery, the catacomb of bones, the pestilen- 
tial vault, 

With fancy's gliding ghost at eve, her moans and flaky foot- 
falls, 

And the gibbering train of terror to fright your coward hearts. 

We speak not here of sin, nor the phantoms of a bloody con- 
science, 

Nor of solaces, and merciful pardon ; we heed but the inevi- 
table grave ; 

The grave, that wage of guilt, that due return to dust. 

The grave, that goal of earth, and starting post for heaven. 



Plant it with laurels, sprinkle it with lilies, set it upon yon- 
der dewy hill 
Midst holy prayers, and generous grief, and consecrating 

blessings : 
Let Sophocles sleep among his ivy, green perennial gar- 
lands, (18) 
Let olives shade their Virgil, and roses bloom above Co- 

rinne ; 
To his foster-mother, Ocean, intrust the mariner in hope. 
The warrior's spirit, let it rise on high, from the flaming fra- 
grant pyre. 
But help not cofiins and corruption to infect the mass of 

living, ^ 

Nor steal from odious realities the charitable poetry of Death : 
It is wise to gild uncomeliness, it is wise to mask necessity, 
It is wise from cheerful sights and sounds to draw their gen- 
tle uses ; 
Hide the facts, the bitter facts, the foul and fearful facts, 
Tend the body welMn hope, this were praise and wisdom. 



SERIES II.] 



OF DEATH. 



289 



But to plunge in gloom the parting soul, that hath loved its 
clay tenement so long, 

This were vanity and folly, the counsel of moroseness and 
despair. 

Not thus, the Scythian of old time welcomed Death with 
songs ; 

Not thus, the shrewd Egyptian decorated Death with bra- 
veries : 

Not thus on his funeral tower sleepeth the sun worshipping 
Parsee ; 

Not thus the Moslem saint lieth in his arabesque mauso- 
leum ; 

Not thus, the wild red Indian, hunter of the far Missouri, 

In flowering trees hath nested up his forest-loving ances- 
try ; (19) 

Not thus, the Switzer mountaineer scattereth ribboned gar- 
lands 

About the rustic cross that halloweth the bed of his beloved ; 

Not thus, the village maiden wisheth she may die in spring, 

With store of violets and cowslips to be sprinkled on her 
snow-white shroud ; 

Not thus, the dying poet asketh a cheerful grave, — 

Lay him in the sunshine, friends, nor sorrow that a Christian 
hath departed 1 



Yea, it is the poetry of Death, an Orpheus gladdening Hades, 

To care with mindful love for all so dear — and dead ; 

To think of them in hope, to look for them in joy, and — but 
for its simple vanity, — 

To pray with all the earnestness of nature for souls who 
cannot change. 

For the tree is felled, and boughed, and bare, and the Measu- 
rer standeth with his line : 

The chance is gone for ever, and is past the reach of prayer : 

For men and angels, good and ill, have rendered all their 
witness ; 

14 



290 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



The trial is over, the jury are gone in, and none can now be 
heard ; 

Well they are agreed upon the verdict, just, and fixt, and 
final, 

And the sentence shovveth clear before the judge hath 
spoken : 

Now — while resting matter is at peace within the tomh, 

The conscious spirit watcheth in unspeakable suspense ; 

Racked with a fearful looking forward, or blissfully feeding 
on the foretaste. 

Waiting souls in eager expectation pass the solemn interval : 

They slumber not at death, but awaken, quickened to the 
terror of the judgment ; 

They lie not insensate among darkness, but exult, looking to 
the light. 

Idiotcy, brightening on the instant, when that veil is torn, 

Is grateful that his torpor here hath left him as an innocent; 

The young child, stricken as he played, and guileless babes 
unborn, 

Freed from fetters of the flesh, burst into mind immediate : 

Madness judgeth wisely, and the visions of the lunatic are 
gone. 

And each hasteneth to praise the mercy that made him irre- 
sponsible. 

For soul is one, though manifold in act, working the ma- 
chinery of brain. 

Reason, fancy, conscience, passion, are but varying phases ; 

If, in God's wise purpose, the machine were shattered or 
confused. 

Still is soul the same, though it exhibit with a difference ; 

Therefore, dissipate the brain, and set its inmate free. 

Behold, the maniacs and embryos stand in their place intelli- 
gent. 

That solvent eateth away all dross, leaving the gold intact : 

Matter lingereth in the retort, spirit hath flown to the re- 
ceiver : 



SERIES II.] 



OF DEATH. 



291 



And lo, that recipient of the spirits, it is some aerial world, 
An oasis midway on the desert space, separating earth from 

heaven, 
A prison-house for essences incorporate, a limbus vague and 

wild, 
Tartarus for evil, and Paradise for good, that intermediate 

Hades. 



O Death, what art thou 1 a Lawgiver that never altereth, 
Fixing the consummating seal, whereby the deeds of life 

become established ; 
O Death, what art thou 1 a stern and silent usher. 
Leading to the judgment for Eternity, after the trial scene of 

Time ; 
O Death, what art thou 1 an husbandman that reapeth al- 
ways. 
Out of season, as in season, with the sickle in his hand : 
O Death, what art thou 1 the shadow unto every substance, 
In the bower as in the battle, haunting night and day. 
Death, what art thou'? nurse of dreamless slumbers, 
Freshening the fevered flesh to a wakefulness eternal : 
O Death, what art thou 1 strange and solemn alchymist, 
Elaborating life's elixir from these clayey crucibles : 
O Death what art thou 1 antitype of nature's marvels, 
The seed and dormant chrysalis bursting into energy and 

glory. 
Thou calm safe anchorage for the shattered hulls of men, — 
Thou spot of gelid shade, after the hot-breathed desert, — 
Thou silent waiting hall, where Adam meeteth with his 

children, — 
How full of dread, how full of hope loometh inevitable 

Death : 
Of dread, for all have sinned ; of hope, for One hath saved : 
The dread is drowned in joy, the hope is filled with immor- 
tality ! 
— Pass along, pilgrim of life, go to thy grave unfearing, 



292 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



The terrors are but shadows now that haunt the vale of 
Death. 



OF IMMORTALITY. 

Gird up thy mind to contemplation, trembling inhabitant of 
earth ; 

Tenant of a hovel for a day, — thou art heir of the universe 
for ever ! 

For, neither congealing of the grave, nor gulfing waters of the 
firmament, 

Nor expansive airs of heaven, nor dissipative fires of Ge- 
henna, 

Nor rust of rest, nor wear, nor waste, nor loss, nor chance, 
nor change. 

Shall avail to quench or overwhelm the spark of soul within 
thee! 



Thou art an imperishable leaf on the evergreen bay-tree of 

Existence ; 
A word from Wisdom's mouth, that cannot be unspoken ; 
A ray of Love's own light ; a drop in Mercy's sea : 
A creature, marvellous and fearful, begotten by the fiat of 

Omnipotence. 
I, that speak in weakness, and ye, that hear in charity, 
Shall not cease to live and feel, though flesh must see cor 

ruption : 
For the prison-gates of matter shall be broken, and the shack- 
led soul go free. 
Free for good or ill, to satisfy its appetence for ever : 
For evil, — dreadful doom, to be hurried on eternally to evil, — 
For ever, happy fate, to ripen into perfectness — for ever ! 

And is there a thought within thy heart, O slave of sin and 
fear. 



SERIES II.J 



OF IMMORTALITY. 



293 



A black and harmful hope, that erring sphit dleth 1 
That primal disobedience hath ensured the death of soul, 
And separate evil sealed it thine — thy curse Annihilation ■? 
Heed thou this ; there is a Sacrifice ; the Maker is Redeemer 

of his creature ; » 

Freely unto each, universally to all, is restored the privilege 

of essence : 
Whether unto grace or guilt, all must live through Him, 
Live in vital joy, or live in dying woe : 
Death in Adam, life in Christ ; the curse hung upon the 

cross : 
Who art thou that heedest of redemption, as narrower than 

the fell 1 
All were dead, — He died for all ; that living, they might love ; 
If living souls withhold their love, — still. He hath died for 

them. 
Eve stole the knowledge ; Christ gave the life ; 
Knowledge and life are the perquisites of soul, the privilege 

of man : 
Mercy stepped between, and stayed the double theft ; 
God gave ; and giving, bought ; and buying, asketh love : 
And in such asking rendereth bliss, to all that hear and 

answer, 
For love with life is heaven ; and life unloving, hell. 



Creature of God, his will is for thy weal, eternally pro- 
gressing , 

Fear not to trust a Maker's love, nor a Saviour's ransom : 

He drank for all, — for thee, and me, — the poison of our 
deeds : 

We shall not die, but live, — and, of his grace, we love ! 

For, in the mysteries of Mercy, the One fore-knowing Spirit 

Outstfippeth Reason's halting choice, and winneth men to 
Him: 

Who shall sound the depths 1 who shall reach the heights ? 



294 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Freedom, in the gyves of fate ; and sovereignty, reconciled 
with justice. 

If then, as annihilate by sin, the soul was ever forfeit, 
Godhead paid the mighty pri(fe, the pledge hath been re- 
deemed : 
He, from the waters of Oblivion raised the drowning race. 
Lifting them even to Himself, the baseless Rock of Ages. 
None can escape from Adam's guilt, or second Adam's 

guerdon : 
Sin and death are thine ; thine also is interminable being : 
Let it be even as thou wilt, still are we ransomed from 

nonentity. 
The worlds of bliss and woe are peopled with immortals : 
And ruin is thy blame ; for thou, the worst, are free 
To take from Heaven the grace of love, as the gift of life : 
Yet is not remedy thy praise ; for thou, the best, art bound 
In self, and sin, and darkling sloth, until He break the chain: 
None can tell, without a struggle, if that chain be broken ; 
Strive to-day, — one effort more may prove that thou art free ! 
Here is faith and prayer, here is the Grace and the Atone- 
ment, 
Here is the creature feeling for its God, and the prodigal re- 
turning to his Father. 
But, behold. His reasonable children, standing in just pro- 
bation, 
With ears to hear, neglect ; with eyes to see, refuse : 
They will not have the blessing with the life, the blessing 

that enricheth immortality ; 
And look for pleasures out of God, for heaven in life alone : 
So, they snatch that awful prize, existence void of love, 
And in their darkening exile make a needful hell of self 



Therefore fear, thou sinner, lest the huge blessing Immor- 
tality, 



SERIES II.J 



OF IMMORTALITY. 



295 



I 



Be blighted in thine evil to a curse, — it were better he had 

not been born ; 
Therefore hope, thou saint, for the gift of immortality is 

free ; 
Take and live, and live and love; fear not, thou art re- 
deemed ! 
The happy life, that height of hope, the knowledge of all 

good. 
This is the blessing on obedience, obedience the child of 

faith : 
The miserable life, that depth of all despair, the knowledge 

of all evil. 
This is the curse upon impenitence, impenitence that sprung 

of unbelief. 
God, from a beautiful necessity, is Love in all he doeth, 
Love, a brilliant fire, to gladden or consume : 
The wicked work their woe by looking upon love, and hating 

it: 
The righteous find their joys in yearning on its loveliness for 

ever. 



Who shall imagine Immortality, or picture its illimitable 
prospect? 

How feebly can a faltering tongue express the vast idea ! 

For consider the primeval woods that bristle over broad 
Australia, 

And count their autumn leaves, millions multiplied by mil- 
lions ; 

Thence look up to a moonless sky from a sleeping isle of the 
iEgaean, 

And add to those leaves yon starry host, sparkling on the 
midnight numberless ; 

Thence traverse an Arabia, some continent of eddying sand, 

Gather each grain, let none escape, add them to the leaves 
and to the stars : 



296 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Afterwards gaze upon the sea, the thousand leagues of an 
Atlantic, 

Take drop by drop, and add thek sum to the grains, and 
leaves, and stars ; 

The drops of ocean, the desert sands, the leaves, and stars 
innumerable. 

(Albeit, in that multitude of multitudes, each small unit 
were an age,) 

All might reckon for an instant, a transient flash of Time, 

Compared with this intolerable blaze, the measureless endur- 
ing of Eternity ! 

O grandest gift of the Creator, — O largess worthy of a God, 
Who shall grasp that thrilling thought, life and joy for 

ever? 
For the sun in heaven's heaven is Love that cannot change. 
And the shining of that sun is life, to all beneath its beams : 
Who shall arrest it in the firmament, — or drag it from its 

sphere ? 
Or bid its beauty smile no more, but be extinct for ever 1 
Yea, where God hath given, none shall take away. 
Nor build up limits to his love, nor bid his bounty cease ; 
Wide, as space is peopled, endless as the empire of heaven, 
The river of the water of life floweth on in majesty for 

ever? 



Why should it seem a thing impossible to thee, O man of 
many doubts. 

That God shall wake the dead, and give this mortal immor- 
tality ? 

Is it that such riches are unsearchable, the bounty too pro- 
fuse ? 

And yet what gift, to cease or change, is vi^orthy of the King 
Almighty 1 

For remember the moment thou art not, thou mightest as 
well not have been ; ' 



SERIES II.] 



OF IMMORTALITY. 



297 



A millennium and an hour are equal in the gulf of that deso- 
late abyss, annihilation: 

If Adam had existed till to-day, and to-day had perished ut- 
terly. 

What were his gain in length of a life, that hath passed 
away for ever 1 

No tribute of thanks can exhale from the empty censer of 
nonentity ; 

The Giver with his gift reclaimed, is mulcted of all praise. 

Tell me, ye that strive in vain to cramp and dwarf the 

soul, 
Wherefore should it cease to be, and when shall essence 

die? 
It is, — and therefore shall be, — till just obstacle opposeth : 
Show no cause for change, and reason leaneth to continu- 
ance. 
The body verily shall change ; this curious house we live in 
Never had continuing stay, but changeth every instant : 
But the spiritual tenant of the house abideth in unalterable 

consciousness, 
He may fly to many lands, but cannot free himself: 
The soil wherein ye drop the seed, by suns or rains may 

vary ; 
But the seed is the same ; and soul is the seed ; and flesh 
but its anchorage to earth. 

The machine may be broken, and rust corrode the springs : 

but can rust feed on motion 1 
Worms may batten on the brain: but can worms gnaw the 

mind 1 
Dynamics are, and dwell apart, though matter be not made ; 
Spirit is, and can be separate, though a body were not : 
Power is one, be it lever, screw, or wedge ; but it needeth 

these for illustration : 
Mind is one, be it causal or ideal ; but it is shown in these. 
14* 



I 



293 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



The creature is constructed individual, for trial of his reason- 
able will, 
Clay and soul, commingled wisely, mingled not confused : 
As power is not in the spring, till somewhat give it action. 
So, until spirit be infused, the organism lieth-inergetic. 

Or shalt thou say that mind is the delicate offspring of mat- 
ter, 
The bright consummate flower that must perish with its 

leaf? 
Goto: doth weight breed lightness 1 is freedom the atmo- 
sphere of prisons ? 
When did the body elevate, expand, and bud the mind 1 
Lo, a red hot cinder flung from the furnaces of iEtna, — 
There is fire in that ash ; but did the pumice make it 1 
Nay, cold clod, never canst thou generate a flame. 
Nay, most exquisite machinery, nevermore elaborate a mind ; 
Rather do ye battle, and contend, opposite the one to the 

other ; 
Till God shall stop the strife, and call the body colleague. 



Garment of flesh, and art thou then a vest, so tinged with 

subtle poison 
(Maddening tunic of the centaur) as to kill the soul ? 
Not so : fruit of disobedience, rot in dissolution, as thou 

must, — 
The seed is in the core, its germ is safe, and life is in that 

germ : 
Moreover Marah shall be sweetened ; and a Good Physician 
Yet shall heal those gangrene wounds, the spotted plague of 

sin: 
He, through worldly trials, and the separative cleansing of 

the grave. 
Shall change its corruptible to glory, and wash that garment 

white. 



SERIES II.] 



OF IMMORTALITY. 



299 



Still, is the whisper in thy heart, that oftenest the bed of 

death 
Seemeth but a sluggish ebb, of sinking soul and body 1 
Mind, dwelling long-time sensual in the chambers of the 

flesh, 
May slumber on in conscious sloth, and wilfully be dulled : 
But is it therefore nigh to dissolution, even as the body of 

this death 1 
Ask the stricken conscience, gasping out its terrors ; 
Ask the dying miser, loth to leave his gold ; 
Ask the widowed poor, confiding her fatherless to strangers ; 
Ask the martyr-maid, a broken reed so strong, 
That weak and tortured frame, with triumph on its brow ! — 
O thou gainsayer, the finger of disease may seem to reach 

the soul, 
But it is a spiritual touch, sympathy with that which aileth : 
Pain or fear may dislocate and shatter this delicate machinery 

of nerves ; 
But madness prove th mind : the fault is in the engine, not 

the impetus : 
Dissipate the mists of matter, lo, the soul is clear : 
Timour's cage bowed it in the dust ; but now it goeth forth 

a freedman. 



Yet more, there is reason in moralities, that the soul must 

live ; 
If God be king in heaven, or have care for earth, 
Can wickedness have triumphed with impunity, or virtue 

toiled unseen 1 
Shall cruelty torture unavenged, and the innocent complain 

unheard 1 
Is there no recompense for woe, — must there be no other 

world for justice, — 
No hope in setting suns of good, nor terror for the evil at its 

zenith 1 



300 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series u. 



How shall ye make answer unto this ; a just God prospering 

iniquity, 
Wisdom encouraging the foolish, and Goodness abetting the 

depraved 1 

Yet again ; mine erring brother, pardon this abundance of 
my speech, 

Yield me thy candor and thy charity, listening with a wel- 
come : 

For, even now, a thousand thoughts are trooping to my 
theme ; 

O might}'^ theme, O feeble thoughts ! Alas, who is suffi- 
cient 1 

Judge not so high a cause by these poor words alone, 

For lo, the advocate hath little skill : pardon, and pass on : 

Certify thv;-elf with surer proofs ; fledge thine own mind for 
fligt^t; 

Think, and pray; those better proofs shall follow on with 
holy aspiration. 

Yet, in my humbler grade to help thy weal and comfort, 

Thy wenl for this and higher worlds, and comfort in thy 
sickness, 

Suffer the multitude of fancies, walking with me still in 
love ; 

But tread in fear, it is holy ground, — remember Immortality ! 



Wilt thou argue from infirmities, thine abject evil state 1 
As how should stricken wretched man indeed exist for ever : 
The brutal and besotted, the savage and the slave, the suck- 
ing infant and the idiot, 
The mass of mean and common minds, and all to be immor- 
tal? 
Consider every beginning, how small it is and feeble : 
Ganges, and the rolling Mississippi, sprung of brooks among 

the mountains ; 
That yew-tree of a thousand years was once a little seed : 



SERIES II.J 



OF IMMORTALITY. 



301 



And Nero's marble Rome, a shepherd's mudbuilt hovel ; 
A speck is on the tropic sky, and it groweth to the terrible 

tornado ; 
An apple, all too fair to see, destroyed a world of souls : 
A tender babe is born, — it is Attila, scourge of the nations ! 
A seeming malefactor dieth, — it is Jesus, the Saviour of 

men ! 

And hive not in thy thoughts the vain and wordy notion 

That nothing which was born in time, can tire out the foot- 
steps of Infinity : 

Reckon up a sum in numbers ; where shall progression stop 1 

The starting-post is definite and fixed, but what is the goal 
of numeration ? 

So, begin upon a moment, and when shall being end ? 

Souls emanate from God, to travel with him equally for ever. 

Moreover, thou that objectest the unenterable circle of eter- 
nity, 

That none but He from everlasting can endure, as to a future 
everlasting, 

Consider, may it be impossible that creatures were counted 
in their Maker, 

And so that the confines of eternity are filled by God 
alone ? 

Trust not thy soul upon a fancy : who would freight a bub- 
ble with a diamond, 

And launch that priceless gem on the boiling rapids of a cata- 
ract? 



If then we perish not at death, but walk in spirit through 

the darkness, 
Waiting for a mansion Incorruptible, whereof this body is 

the seed, 
Tell me, when shall be the period 1 time and its ordeals are 

done ; 



302 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [bKRiES ii. 



The storms are passed, the night is at an end, behold the 

Sabbath morning. 
Is Death to be conqueror again, and claim once more the 

victory, — 
Can the enemy's corpse awaken into life, and bruise the 

Champion's head 1 
Evil, terrible ensample, that foil to the attributes of Good, 
Is banished to its own black world, weeded out of earth and 

heaven : 
Shall that great gulf be passed, and sin be sown again? — 
We know but this, the book of truth proclaimeth gladly, 

Never I 

There remaineth the will of our God : when he repenteth 
of his creature 

Made by self-suggested mercy, ransomed by self-sacrificing 
justice, — 

When Truth, that swore unto his neighbor, disappointeth 
him, and cleaveth to a lie, — 

When the counsels of Wisdom are confounded, and Love 
warreth with itself, 

When the Unchangeable is changed, and the arm of Omni- 
potence is broken, — 

Then, — thy quenchless soul shall have reached the goal of 
its existence. 



But it seemeth to thy notions of the merciful and just, a 

false and fearful thing, 
To lay such a burden upon time, that eternity be built on its 

foundation : 
As if so casual good or ill should color all the future. 
And the vanity of accident, or sternness of necessity, save or 

wreck a soul. 
Were it casual, vain, or stern, this might pass for truth : 
But all things are marshalled by Design, and carefully tended 

by Benevolence. 






SERIES II.] 



OF IMMORTALITY. 



303 



O man, thy judge is righteous, — noting, remembering, and 
weighing ; 

Want, ignorance, diversities of state, are cast into the bal-. 
ance of advantage : 

The poisonous example of a parent asketh for allowance in 
a child ; 

Care, diseases, toils, and frailties, — all things are considered. 

And again, a mysterious Omniscience knoweth the spirits 
that are His, 

While the delicate tissues of Event are woven by the fin- 
gers of Ubiquity. 

Should Providence be taken by surprise from the possible im- 
pinging of an accident, 

One fortuitous grain might dislocate the banded universe : 

The merest seeming trifle is ordered as the morning light ; 

And he that rideth on the hurricane, is pilot of the bubble on 
the breaker. 



Once more, consider Matter, — how small a thing is father 
to the greatest : 

Thou that lightly hast regarded the results of so called acci- 
dent. 

A blade of grass took fire in the sun, — and the prairies are 
burnt to the horizon : 

A grain of sand may blind the eye, and madden the brain to 
murder ; 

A careful fly deposited its egg in the swelling bud of an 
acorn, — 

The sapling grew, — cankrous and gnarled, — it is yonder hol- 
low oak-: 

A child touched a spring, and the spring closed a valve, and 
the laboring engine burst, — 

A thousand lives were in that ship, — wrecked by an infant's 
finger I 

Shall nature preach in vain 1 — thy casualty, guided in its 
orbit, 



304 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Though less than a mote iipont he sunbeam, saileth in a fleet 
of worlds ; 

That trivial cause, watered and observed of the Husband- 
man day by day. 

In calm undeviating strength doth work its large effect. 

Thus, in the pettiness of life note thou seeds of grandeur. 

And watch the hour-glass of Time with the eyes of an heir 
of Immortality, 

There still be clouds of witnesses, — if thou art not weary of 

my speech, — 
Flocks of ttioughts adding lustre to the light, and pointing on 

to Life. 
For reflect how Truth and Goodness, well and wisely put, 
Commend themselves to every mind with wondrous intui- 
tion : 
What is this 1 the recognition of a standard, unwritten, natu- 
ral, uniform ; 
Telling of one common source, the root of Good and True. 
And if thus present soul can trace descent from Deity, 
Being, as it standeth, individual, a separate reasonable thing, 
What should hinder that its hope may not trace gladly for- 
ward. 
And, in astounding parallel, like Enoch walk with God 1 
Yea, the genealogy of soul, that vivifying breath of a Crea- 
tor, 
Breath, no transient air, but essence, energy, and reason. 
Is looming on the past, and shadowing the future, sublimely 

as Melchisedek of old. 
Having not beginning, nor end of days, but present in the 
majesty of Peace ! 



O false scholar, credulous in vanities, and only sceptical of 
truth. 

Wherefore toil to cheat thy soul of its birthright, Immortali- 
ty 1 



SERIES II.] 



OF IMMORTALITY. 



305 



Is it for th}'^ guilt "? He pardoneth : is it for thy frailty 7 He 
will help : 

Though thou fearest, He is love ; and Mercy shall be deeper 
than Despair. 

Even for thy full-blown pride, is it much to be receiver of a 
God? 

And lo, thy rights, He made thee ; thy claims. He hath re- 
deemed. 

Hath the fair aspect of affection no beauty that thou stouldst 
desire ii 1 

And are those sorrows nothing to thee that passest by 1 

For it is Fact, immutable, that God hath dwelt in Man ; 

With gentle generous love ennobling while He bought us. 

What, though thou art false, ignorant, weak, and daring, — 

Can the sun be quenched in heaven — or only Belisarius be 
blind 1 



But, even stooping to thy folly, grant all these hopes are 

vain ; 
Stultify reason, wrestle against conscience, and wither up 

the heart. 
Where is thy vast advantage 1 — I have all that thou hast, 
The buoyancy of life as strong, and term of days no shorter ; 
My cup is full with gladness, — my griefs are not more galling: 
And thus, we walk together, even to the gates of death ; 
There (if not also on my journey, blessing every step, 
Gladdening with light, and quickening with love, and killing 

all my cares), 
There, — while thou art quailing, or sullenly expecting to be 

nothing, — 
There, — is found my gain, — ^I triumph, where thou tremblest. 
Grant all my solace is a lie, yet it is a fountain of delight, 
A spice in every pleasure, and a balm for every pain ; 
O precious wise delusion, scattering both misery and sin, — 
O vile and silly truth, depraving while it curseth ! 



306 



PROVERBIAL AlILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Darkling child of knowledge, commune with Socrates and 
Cicero, 

They had no prejudice of birth, no dull parental warpings ; 

See, those lustrous minds anticipate the dawning day, — 

Whilst thou, poor mole, art burrowing back to darkness from 
the light. 

I will not urge a revelation, mercies, miracles, and martyrs, 

But, after twice a thousand years, go, learn thou of the pa- 
gan : 

It were happier and wiser even among fools, to cling to the 
shadow of a hope, 

Than, in the company of sages, to win the substance of de- 
spair : 

But here, the sages hope ; — despair is with the fools. 

The base bad hearts, the stolid heads, the sensual, and the 
selfish. 

And wilt thou, sorry scorner, mock the phrase, despair ? 
Despair for those who die and live, — for me, I live and die : 
What ha,ve I to do with dread 1 my taper must go out ; — 
I nurse no silly hopes, and therefore feel no fears : 
I am hastening to an End. — O false and feeble answer : 
For hope is in thee still, and fear, — a racking deep anxiety. 
Erring brother, listeji : and take thine answer from the an- 
cients : 
Consider every end, that it is but the end of a beginning. 
All things work in circles : weariness induceth unto rest, 
Rest invigorateth labor, and labor causeth weariness : 
War produceth peace, and peace is wanton unto war ; 
Light dieth into darkness, and night dawneth into day : 
The rotting jungle reeds scatter fertility around ; 
The buffalo's dead carcase hath quickened life in millions ; 
The end of toil is gain, the end of gain is pleasure. 
Pleasure tendeth unto waste, and waste commandeth toil. 



So, is death an end, — ^but it breeds an infinite beginning ; 



SERIES II.] 



OF IMMORTALITY. 



307 



Limits are for time, and death killed time ; Eternity's begin- 
ning is for ever. 

Ambition, hath it any goal indeed 1 is not all fruition, disap- 
pointment 1 

A step upon the ladder, and another, and another, — we start 
from every end : 

Look to the eras of mortality ; babe, student, man, 

The husband, the father, the deathbed of a saint, — and is it 
then an end 1 

That common climax, Death, shall it lead to nothing 1 

How strong a root of causes, flowering a consequence of va- 
por: 

That solid chain of facts, is it snapped for ever ? 

How stout a show of figures, weakly summing to nonentity. 

Or haply, Death, in the doublings of thy thought, shall seem 

continuous ending : 
A dull eternal slumber, not an end abrupt. 
O most futile chrysalis, wherefore dost thou sleep 1 
Dreamless, unconscious, never to awake, — what object in 

such slumber 1 
If thou art still to live, it may as well be wakef ully as sleep- 
ing: 
How grovelling must that spirit be, to need eternal sleep : 
Or was indeed the toil of life so heavy and so long, 
That nevermore can rest refresh thine overburdened soul ; 
Sleep is a recreance to body, but when was mmd asleep 1 
Even in a swoon it dreameth, though all be forgotten after- 
ward : 
The muscles seek relaxing, and the irritable nerves ask 

peace : 
But life is a constant force, spirit an unquietable impetus : 
The eye may wear out as a telescope, and the brain work 

slow as a machine. 
But soul unwearied, and for ever, is capable of eflfort unim- 
paired. 



308 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



I live, move, am conscious : what shall bar my being 1 

Where is the rude hand, to rend this tissue of existence 1 

Not thine, shadowy Death, what art thou but a phantom ? 

Not thine, foul Corruption, what art thou but a fear 1 

For death is merely absent life, as darkness absent light ; 

Not even a suspension, for the life hath sailed away steering 
gladly somewhere. 

And corruption closely noted, is but a dissolving of the parts, 

The parts remain and nothing lost, to build a better whole. 

Moreover, mind is unity, however versatile and rapid ; 

Thou canst not entertain two coincident ideas, although 
they quickly follow ; 

And Unity hath no parts, so that there is nothing to dissolve ; 

The element is still unchanged in every searching solvent. 

Who then shall bid me be annulled, — He that gave me be- 
ing ? 

Amen, if God so will ; I know that will is love : 

But love hath promised life, and therefore I shall live ; 

So long as he is God, I shall be his Creature ! 



And here, shrewd reasoner, so eager to prove that thou must 
perish, 

I note a sneer upon thy lip, and ridicule is haply on thy 
tongue : 

How, said he, — creature of a God, — and are not all his crea- 
tures, — 

The lion, and the gnat, — yea the mushroom and the cr>'stal, 
— have all these a soul 1 

Thy fancies tend to prove too much and overshoot the mark: 

If I die not with brutes, then brutes must live with me ? — 

I dare not tell thee that they will, for the word is not in my 
commission : 

But of the twain it is the likelier; continuance is the 
chance : 

Men, dying in their sins, are likened unto beasts that perish : 



SERIES II.] OF IMMORTALITY. 309 

They are dark, animal, insensate, but have they not a lurk- 
ing soul 1 ' 

The spirit of a man goeth upward, reasonable, apprehending 
God; 

The spirit of a beast goeth downward, sensual, doting on the 
creature : ' 

Who told thee that they die at dissolution 1 boldly think it 
out, — 

The multitude of flies and the multitude of herbs, the world 
with all its beings : 

Is Infinity too narrow, Omnipotence too weak, and Love so 
anxious to destroy 1 

Doth Wisdom change its plan, and a Maker cancel his creat- 
ed? 

God's will may compass all things, to fashion and to nullify 
at pleasure : 

Yet are there many thoughts of hope, that all which are 
shall live. 

True, there is no conscience in the brute, beyond some edu- 
cated habit. 

They lay them down without a fear, and wake without a 
hope : 

Hunger and pain is of the animal : but when did they reckon 
or compare 1 

The^'^ live, idealess, in instinct ; and while they breathe 
they gain : 

The master is an idol to his dog, who cannot rise beyond 
him : 

And void of capability for God, there would seem small 
cause for an infinity. 

Therefore, caviller, my poor thoughts dare not grant they 
live : 

But is it not a great thing to assume their annihilation — and 
thine own 1 

Would it be much if a speck on space, this globe with all 
its millions, 



310 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series n. 

Verily, after its polhition, were suffered to exist in purity 1 

Or much, if guiltless creatures, that were cruelly entreated 
upon earth, 

Found some commensurate reward in lower joys hereafter 1 

Or, much, if a Creator, prodigal of life, and filled with the 
profundity of love, 

Rejoice in all creatures of his skill, and lead them to perfec- 
tion in their kind 1 

O man, there are many marvels : yet life is more mystery 
than death : 

For death may be some stagnant life, — but life is present 
God! 

Many are the lurking holes of evil ; who shall search them 

out? 
Who so skilled to cut away the cancer with its fibres 1 
For wily minds with sinuous ease escape from lie to lie ; 
And cowards driven from the trench steal back to hide again. 
Vain were the battle, if a warrior, having slain his foes, 
Shall turn and find them vital still, unarmed, yea un- 
ashamed : 
For Error, dark magician, daily cast out killed, 
Q-uickeneth animate anew beneath the midnight moon : 
Once and again, once and again, hath reason answered 

wisely ; 
But not the less with brazen front doth folly urge her ques- 
tions. 
It were but unprofitable toil, a stand-up fight with unbelief: 
When was there candor in a caviller, and who can satisfy 

the faithless 1 
Too long, O truant from the fold, have I tracked thy devious 

paths : 
Too long, treacherous deserter, fought thee as a noble foe- 
man : 
Haply, my small art, and an arm too weakly for it's weapon, 



SERIES II.] 



OF IMMORTALITY. 



311 



Hath failed to pierce thine iron coat, and reach thy stricken 

soul : 
Haply, the fervor of my speech, and too patient sifting of thy 

fancies, 
Shall tend to make thee prize them more, as worthier and 

wiser : 
Go to : be mine the gain : we measure swords no more : 
Go, — and a word go with thee, — Man, thou art Immortal ! 



Child of light, and student in the truth, too long have I for- 
gotten thee : 

Lo, after parley with an alien, let me hold sweet converse 
with a brother. 

Glorious hopes, and ineffable imaginings, crowd our holy 
theme, 

Fear hath been slaughtered on the portal, and Doubt driven 
back to darkness : 

For Christ hath died, and we in Him ; by faith His all is 
ours, — 

Cross and crown, and love, and life ; and we shall reign in 
Him! 

Yea, there is a fitness and a beauty in ascribing immortality 
to mind, 

That its energies and lofty aspirations may have scope for 
indefinite expansion. 

To learn all things is privilege of reason, and that with a 
growing capability, 

But in this age of toil and time we scarce attain to alphabets : 

How hardly in the midst of our hurry, and jostled by the 
cares of life. 

Shall a man turn and stop to consider mighty secrets ; 

With barely hours, and barely powers, to fill up daily duties, 

How small the glimpse of knowledge his wondering eye can 
catch. 

And knowledge is a noting of the order wherein God's attri- 
butes evolve, 



312 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Therefore worthy of the creature, worthy of an angel's 

seeking ; 
Yea, and human knowledge, meagre though the harvest, 
Hath its roots, both deep and strong ; but the plants are exotic 

to the climate; 
All we seem to know demand a longer learning, 
History, and science, and prophecy, and art, are workings all 

of God : 
And there are galaxies of globes, millions of unimagined 

bemgs. 
Other senses, wondrous sounds, and thoughts of thrilling 

fire, 
Powers of strange might, quickening unknown elements. 
And attributes and energies of God which man may never 

guess. 

Not in vain, O brother, hath soul the spurs of enterprise, 

Nor aimlessly panteth for adventure, waiting at the cave of 
mystery ; 

Not in vain the cup of curiosity, sweet and richly spiced, 

Is ruby to the sight, and ambrosia to the taste, and redolent 
with all fragrance : * 

Thou shalt drink, and deeply, filling the mind with marvels ; 

Thou shalt watch no more, lingering, disappointed of thy 
hope : 

Thou shalt roam where road is none, a traveller untram- 
melled, 

Speeding at a wish, emancipate, to where the stars are suns ! 



Count, count your hopes, heirs of immortality and love ; 
And hear my kindred faith, and turn again to bless me. 
For lo, my trust is strong to dwell in many worlds, 
And cull of many brethren there, sweet knowledge ever new : 
I yearn for realms where fancy shall be filled, and the ecs- 
tasies of freedom shall be felt, 
And the soul reign gloriously, risen to its royal destinies : 



SERIES II.] 



OF IMMORTALITY. 



313 



I look to recognise again, through the beautiful mask of their 

perfection, 
The dear familiar faces I have somewhile loved on earth : 
I long to talk with grateful tongue of storms and perils past, 
And praise the mighty Pilot that hath steered us through the 

rapids : 
He shall be the focus of it all, the very heart of gladness, — 
My soul is athirst for God, the God who dwelt in Man ! 
|;| Prophet, priest, and king, the sacrifice, the substitute, the 

Saviour, 
Rapture of the blessed in the hunted one of earth, the par- 
doner in the victim : 
How many centuries of joy concentrate in that theme. 
How often a Methusaleh might count his thousand years, 

and leave it unexhausted. 
And lo the heavenly Jerusalem, with all its gates one pearl, 
That pearl of countless price, the door by which we enter- 
ed, — 
Come, tread the gulden streets, and join that glorious throng, 
The happy ones of heaven and earth, ten thousand times ten 

thousand : 
Hark, they sing that song, and cast their crowns before Him ; 
Their souls alight with Love, — Glory, and Praise, and Im- 
mortality I 
Veil thine eyes : no son of time may see that holy vision, 
And even the seraph at thy side hath covered his face with 
wings. 



Doth he not speak parables 1 — each one goeth on his way, 
Ye that hear, and I that counsel, go on our ways forgetful. 
For the terrible realities whereto we tend, are hidden from 

our eyes. 
We know but heed them not, and walk as if the temporal 

were all things. 
Vanities buzzing on the ear, fill its drowsy chambers, 

15 



k. 



314 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 

Slow to dread those coming fears, the thunder and the trum- 
pet; 
Motes steaming on the sight, dim our purblind eyes, 
Dark to see tlie ponderous orb of nearing immortality : 
Hemmed in by hostile foes, the trifler is busied on an epi- 
gram ; (20) 
The dull ox, driven to slaughter, careth but for pasture by 

the way. 
Alas, that the precious things of truth, and the everlasting 

hills, 
The mighty hopes we spake of, and the consciousness we 

feel, — 
Alas, that all the future, and its adamantine facts, 
Clouded by the present with intoxicating fumes, — 
Should seem even to us, the great expectant heirs. 
To us, the responsible and free, fearful sons of reason, 
Only as a lovely song, sweet sounds of solemn music, 
A pleasant voice, and nothing more, — doth he not speak pa- 
rables 1 , 

Look to thy soul, O man, for none can be surety for his bro- 
ther : 

Behold, for heaven — or for hell, — thou canst not escape from 
Immortality ! 



OF IDEAS. 

Mind is like a volatile essence, flitting hither and thither, 
A solitary sentinel of the fortress body, to show himself 

everywhere by turns : 
Mind is indivisible and instant, with neither parts nor or- 
gans. 
That it doeth, it doth quickly, but the whole mind doth it : 
An active versatile agent, untiring in the principle of energy, 



SERIES II.] 



OF IDEAS. 



315 



Nor space, nor time, nor rest, nor toil, can affect the tenant 
of the brain ; 

His dwelling may verily be shattered, and the furniture 
thereof be disarranged. 

But the particle of Deity in man slumbereth not, neither can 
be wearied : 

However swift to change, even as the field of a kaleidoscope. 

It taketh in but one idea at once, moulded for the moment to 
its likeness ; 

Mind is as the quicksilver, which, poured from vessel to ves- 
sel, 

Instantly seizeth on a shape, and as instantly again discard- 
eth it ; 

For it is an apprehensive power, closing on the properties of 
Matter, 

Expanding to enwrap a world, collapsing to prison up an 
atom: 

As, by night, thine irritable eyes may have seen strange 
changing figures. 

Now a wheel, now suddenly a point, a line, a curve, a zig- 
zag, 

A maze ever altering, as the dance of gnats upon a sun- 
beam, 

Swift, intricate, neither to be prophesied, nor to be remem- 
bered in succession, 

So the mind of a man, single, and perpetually moving, 

Flickereth about from thought to thought, changed with each 
idea, 

For the passing second metamorphosed to the image of that 
within its ken. 

And throwing its immediate perceptions into each cause of 
contemplation. 

It shall regard a tree ; and unconsciously, in separate re- 
view. 

Embrace its color, shape, and use, whole and individual con- 
ceptions ; 



316 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



It shall read or hear of crime, and cast itself into the com- 
mission ; 

It shall note a generous deed, and glow for a moment as the 
doer; 

It shall imagine pride or pleasure, treading on the edges of 
temptation ; 

Or heed of God and of his Christ, and grow transformed to 
glory. 

Wherefore, it is wise and well to guide the mind aright, 
That its aptness may be sensitive to good, and shrink with 

antipathy from evil : 
For use will mould and mark it, or nonusage dull and blunt 

it;— 
So to talk of spirit by analogy with substance ; 
And analogy is a truer guide, than many teachers tell of, 
Similitudes are scattered round, to help us, not to hurt us ; 
Moses, in his every type, and the Greater than a Moses, in 

his parables. 
Preach, in terms that all may learn, the philosophic lessons of 

analogy ; 
And here, in a topic immaterial, the likeness of analogy is 

just ; 
By habits, knit the nerves of mind, and train the gladiator 

shrewdly : 
For thought shall strengthen thinking, and imagery speed 

imagination. 
Until thy spiritual inmate shall have swelled to the giant of 

Otranto. 

Nevertheless, heed well, that this Athlete, growing in thy 
brain. 

Be a Vv'holesome Genius, not a cursed Afrite : 

And see thou discipline his strength, and point his aim dis- 
creetly ; 



SERIES II.] 



OF IDEAS. 



317 



Feed him on humility and holy things, weaped from covet- 
ous desires ; 

Hour by hour and day by day, ply him with ideas of excel- 
lence, 

Dragging forth the evil but to loathe, as a Spartan's drunken 
Helot : 

And win, by gradual allurements, the still expanding soul, 

To rise from a contemplated universe, even to the Hand that 
made it. 



A common mind perceiveth not beyond his eyes and ears : 

The palings of the park of sense enthral this captured roe- 
buck: 

And still, though fettered in the flesh, he doth not feel his 
chains. 

Externals are the world to him, and circumstance his atmo- 
sphere. 

Therefore, tangible pleasures are enough for the animal- 
man; 

He is swift to speak and slow to think, dreading his own dim 
conscience ; 

And solitude is terrible, and exile worse than death ; 

He cannot dwell apart, nor breathe at a distance from the 
crowd. 

But minds of nobler stamp, and chiefest the mint-marked of 
heaven. 

Walk independent by themselves, freely manumitted of ex- 
ternals : 

They carry viands with them, and need no refreshment by 
the way, 

Nor drink of other wells than their own inner fountain. 

Strange shall it seem how little such a man will lean upon 
the accidents of life, 

He is winged, and needeth not a staff; if it break, he shall 
not fall 



■■ ">.. •'• ^ Fm ^nmmi 



mmm 



318 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



And lightly perchance doth he remember the stale trivialities 
around him, 

He liveth in the realm of thought, beyond the world of 
things : 

These are but transient Matter, and himself enduring Spirit : 

And worldliness will laugh to scorn that sublimated wisdom- 

His eyes may open on a prison-cell, but the bare walls glow 
with imagery ; 

His ears may be filled with execration, but are listening to 
music of sweet thoughts ; 

He may dwell in a hovel with a hero's heart, and canopy his 
penury with peace. 

For mind is a kingdom to the man, who gathereth his plea- 
sure from Ideas 



OF NAMES. 

Adam gave the name when the Lord had made his creature. 
For God led them in review to see what man would call 

them : 
As they struck his senses, he proclaimed their sounds, 
A name for the distinguishing of each, a numeral by which 

it should be known : 
He specified the partridge by her cry, (21 ) and the forest 

prowler by his roaring, 
The tree by its use, and the flower by its beauty, and every 

thing according to its truth. 



There is an arbitrary name ; whereunto the idea attacheth ; 
And there is a reasonable name, linking its fitness to idea : 
Yet shall these twain run in parallel courses. 
Neither shalt thou readily discern the habit from the nature. 
For mind is apt and quick to wed ideas and names together, 
Nor stoppeth its perception to be curious of priorities ; 



T' 



SERIES II.J 



OF NAMES. 



319 



And there is but little in the sound, as some have vainly fan- 
cied, 

The same tone in different tongues shall be suitable to oppo- 
site ideas : 

Yea, take an ensample in thine own ; consider similar 
words ; 

How various and contrary the thoughts those kindred names 
produce : 

A house shall seem a fitting word to call a roomy dwelling, 

Yet there is a like propriety in the small smooth sound, a 
mouse : 

Mountain, as if of a necessity, is a word both mighty and 
majestic, — 

What heed ye then of fountain 1 — flowing silver in the sun. 

Many a fair flower is burdened with preposterous appella- 
tives, 

Which the wiser simplicity of rustics entitled by its beau- 
ties : 

And often the conceit of science, loving to be thought cos- 
mopolite, 

Shall mingle names of every clime, alike obscure to each. 

There is wisdom in calling a thing fitly ; name should note 
particulars 

Through a character obvious to all men, and worthy of their 
instant acceptation. 

The herbalist had a simple cause for every word upon his 
catalogue. 

But now the mouth of Botany is filled with empty sound; 

And many a peasant hath an answer on his tongue, concern- 
ing some vexed flower. 

Shrewder than the centipede phrase wherewithal philoso- 
phers invest it. 



For that, the foolishness of pride, and flatteries of cringing 
homage, 



320 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Strew with cliafF the threshing floors of science ; names 
perplex them all ; 

The entomologist, who hath pried upon an insect, straight- 
way shall endow it with his name ; 

It had many qualities and marks of note, — ^but in chief^ a 
vain observer : 

The geographer shall journey to the pole, through biting 
frost and desolation, 

And, for some simple patron's sake, shall name that land, the 
happy ; 

The fossilist hath found a bone, the rib of some huge lizard. 

And forthwith standeth to it sponsor, to tack himself on rep- 
tile immortalities : 

The sportsman, hunting at the Cape, found some strange- 
horned antelope, 

The spots are new, the fame is cheap, and so his name is 
added. 

Thus, obscurities encumber knowledge, even by the vanity 
of men 

Who play into each other's hand the game of giving names. 



Various are the names of men, and drawn from different 

wells ; 
Aspects of body, or characters of mind, the creature's first 

idea: 
And some have sprung of trades^ and some of dignities or 

office; 
Other some added to a father's, and yet more growing from a 

place . 
Animal creation, with sciences and things, — their composites, 

and near associations, 
Contributed their symbollings of old, wherewith to title men: 
And heraldry set upon its cresture the figured attributes as 

ensigns 
By which, as by a name concrete, its bearer should be known. 



SERIES II.] 



OF NAMES. 



321 



Egypt opened on the theme, dressing up her gods in quali- 
ties ; 

Horns of power, feathers of the swift, mitres of catholic do- 
minion, 

The sovereign asp, the circle everlasting, the crook and 
thong of justice, 

By many mystic shapes and sounds displayed the idol's 
name. 

Thereafter, high-plumed warriors, the chieftains of Etruria 
and Troy, 

And Xerxes, urging on his millions to the tomb of pride, Ther- 
mopylae, 

And Hiero with his bounding ships all figured at the prow, 

And Rome's Free tor ian standards, piled with strange devices, 

And stout crusaders pressing to the battle, locked in shining 
steel, — 

These all in their speaking symbols, earned, or wore, a name. 

Eve, the mother of all living, and Abraham, father of a mul- 
titude, 

Jacob, the supplanter, and David the beloved, and all the 
worthies of old time, 

Noah, who came for consolation, and Benoni, son of sorrow, 

Kings and prophets, children of the East, owned each his 
title of significance, 

There be names of high descent, and thereby storied honors ; 
Names of fair renown, and therein characters of merit: 
But to lend the lowborn noble names, is to shed upon them 

ridicule and evil ; 
Yea, many weeds run rank in pride, if men have dubbed 

them cedars. 
And to herald common mediocrity with the noisy notes of 

fame, 
Tendeth to its deeper scorn : as if it were to call the mole a 

mammoth. 



15* 



322 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Yet shall ye find the trader's babe dignified with sounding 

titles, 
And little hath the father guessed the harm he did his child : 
For either may they breed him discontent, a peevish repining 

at his station, 
Or point the finger of despite at the mule in the trappings of 

an elephant : 
And it is a kind of theft to filch appellations from the famous, 
A soiling of the shrines of praise with folly's vulgar herd. 
Prudence hath often gone ashamed for the name they added 

to his father's, 
If minds of mark and great achievements bore it well before ; 
For he walketh as the jay in the fable, though not by his 

own folly. 
Another's fault hath compassed his misfortune, making him 

a martyr to his name. 



Who would call the tench a whale, or style a torch, Orion 1 

Yet many a silly parent hath dealt likewise with his nurs- 
ling. 

Give thy child a fit distinguishment, making him sole tenant 
of a name, 

For it were a sore hindrance to hold it in common with a 
hundred ; 

In the Babel of confused identities fame is little feasible. 

The felon shall detract from the philanthropist, and the sage 
share honors with the simple : 

Still, in thy title of distinguishment, fall not into arrogant as- 
sumption, 

Steering from caprice and affectations ; and for all thou doest, 
have a reason. 

He that is ambitious for his son, should give him untried 
names, 

For those that have served other men, haply may injure by 
their evils ; 



SERIES II.] 



OF NAMES. 



323 



Or otherwise may hinder by their glories ; therefore set him 

by himself, 
To win for his individual name some clear specific praise# 
There were nine Homers, all goodly sons of song; but where 

is any record of the eight 1 
One grew to fame, an Aaron's rod, and swallowed up his 

brethren :(22) 
Who knoweth 1 more distinctly titled, those dead eight had 

lived ; 
But the censers were ranged in a circle, to mingle their 

sweets without a difference. 



Art thou named of a common crowd, and sensible of high 
aspu'ings 1 

It is hard for thee to rise, — yet strive : thou mayest be among 
them a Musaeus. 

Art thou named of a family, the same in successive genera- 
tions ? 

It is open to thee still to earn for epithets, such an one, the 
good or great. 

Art thou named foolishly 1 show that thou art wiser than 
thy fathers. 

Live to shame their vanity or sin by dutiful devotion to thy 
sphere. 

Art thou named discreetly 1 it is well, the course is free ; 

No competitor shall claim thy colors, neither fix his faults 
upon thee : 

Hasten to the goal of fame between the posts of duty, 

And win a blessing from the world, that men may love thy 
name ; 

Yea, that the unction of its praise, in fragrance well deserv- 
ing, 

May float adown the stream of time, like ambergris at sea ; 

So thy sons may tell their sons, and those may teach their 
children. 

He died in goodness, as he lived ; — and left us his good name. 



324 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



^^ that, 
Tnen, sal 



And more than these : there is a roll whereon thy name is 
written ; 

on the book of Doom, that name is fixed in light ; 
safe within a better home, where time and its titles 
are not found, 

God will give thee his new Name, and write it on thy heart : 

A Name, better than of sons, a Name dearer than of daugh- 
ters, 

A Name of union, peace and praise, as numbered in thy God- 



OF THINGS. 

Abstracted from all substance, and flying with the feath 
ered flock of thoughts, 

The idea of a thing hath the nature of its Soul, a separate 
seeming essence : 

Intimately linked to the idea, suggesting many qualities. 

The name of a thing hath the nature of its Mind, an intel- 
lectual recorder : 

And the matter of a thing, concrete, is a Body to the perfect 
creature, 

Compacted three in one, as all things else within the Uni- 
verse. 

Nothing canst thou add to them, and nothing take away, for 
all have these proportions, 

The thought, the word, the form, combining in the Thing : 

All separate, yet harmonizing well, and mingled each with 
other. 

One whole in several parts, yet each part spreading to a 
whole : 

The idea is a whole, and the meaning phrase that spake 
idea, a whole. 

And the matter, as ye see it, is a whole ; the mystery of true 
triunity ; 



SERIES 11.] 



OF THINGS. 



325 



Yea, there is even a deeper mystery, — which none, I wot, 

can fathom, 
Matter, different from properties whereby the solid substance 

is described. 
For, size and weight, cohesion and the like, live distinct from 

matter, 
Yet who can imagine matter, unendowed with size and 

weight? 
As in the spiritual, so in the material, man must rest with 

patience, 
And wait for other eyes wherewith to read the books of God. 



Men have talked learnedly of atoms, as if matter could be 
ever indivisible. 

They talk, but ill are skilled to teach, and darken truth by 
fancies : 

An atom by our grosser sense was never yet conceived, 

And nothing can be thought so small, as not to be divided : 

For an atom runneth to infinity, and never shall be caught in 
space, 

And a molecule is no more indivisible than Saturn's belted 
orb. 

Things intangible, multiplied by multitudes, never will amass 
to substance. 

Neither can a thing which may be touched, be made of im- 
palpable proportions : 

The sum of indivisibles must needs be indivisible, as adding 
many nothings. 

And the building up of atoms into matter is but a silly 
sophism ; 

Lucretius, and keen Anaximander, and many that have fol- 
lowed in their thoughts 

(For error hath a long black shadow, dimming light for ages), 

In the foolishness of men without a God fancied to fashion 
Matter 



326 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Of intangibles, and therefore iincohering, indivisibles, and 
therefore Spirit. 

Things breed thoughts ; therefore at Thebes and Heliopolis, 
In hieroglyphic sculptures are the priestly secrets written ; 
Things breed thoughts ; therefore was the Athens of idolatry 
Set with carved images, frequent as the trees of Academus ; 
Things breed thoughts ; therefore the Brahmin and the Bur- 
man 
With mythologic shapes adorn their coarse pantheon ; 
Things breed thoughts ; therefore the statue and the picture, 
Helics, rosaries, and miracles in act, quicken the Papist in 

his worship : 
Things breed thoughts ; therefore the lovers at their parting, 
Interchanged with tearful smiles the dear reminding tokens ; 
Things breed thoughts ; therefore, when the clansman met 

his foe, 
The blood-stained claymore in his hand revived the memo- 
ries of vengeance. 



Things teach with double force ; through the animal eye, 
and through the mind, 

And the eye catcheth in an instant, what the ear shall not 
learn within an hour. 

Thence is the potency of travel, the precious might of its 
advantages 

To compensate its dissipative harm, its toil and cost and 
danger. 

Ulysses, wandering to many shores, lived in many cities, (23) 

And thereby learnt the minds of men, and stored his own 
more richly : 

Herodotus, the accurate and kindly, spake of that he saw, 

And reaped his knowledge on the spot, in fertile fields of 
Egypt: 

Lycurgus culled from every clime the golden fruits of jus- 
tice; 



SERIES II.J 



OF THINGS. 



327 



And Plato roamed through foreign lands, to feed on truth in 

all. 
For travel, conversant with Things, bringeth them in con- 
tact with the mind ; 
We breathe the wholesome atmosphere about ungarbled 

truth : 
Pictures of fact are painted on the eye, to decorate the house 

of intellect 
Rather than visions of fancy, filling all the chambers with a 

vapor. 
For in Ideas, the great mind will exaggerate, and the lesser 

extenuate truth : 
But in Things the one is chastened, and the other quickened, 

to equality : 
And in Names, — though a property be told, rather than 

some arbitrary accident, 
Still shall the thought be vague or false, if none hath seen 

the Thing ; 
For in Things the property with accident standeth in a mass 

concrete, 
These cannot cheat the sense, nor elude the vigilance of 

spirit. 
Travel is a ceaseless fount of surface education, 
But its wisdom will be simply superficial, if thou add not 

thoughts to things : 
Yet, aided by the varnish of society, things may serve for 

thoughts. 
Till many dullards that have seen the world shall pass for 

scholars : 
Because one single glance will conquer all descriptions, 
Though graphic, these left some unsaid, though true, these 

tended to some error, 
And the most witless eye that saw had a juster notion of its 

object, 
Than the shrewdest mind that heard and shaped its gathered 
thoughts of Things. 



328 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



OF FAITH. 

Confidence was the bearer of the palm ; for it looked like 
conviction of desert : 

And where the strong is well assured, the weaker soo» allow 
it. 

Majesty and beauty are commingled, in moving with im- 
mutable decision, 

And well may charm the coward hearts that turn and hide 
for fear. 

Faith, firmness, confidence, consistency, — these are well al- 
lied; 

Yea, let a man press on in aught, he shall not lack of honor : 

For such an one seemeth as superior to the native instability 
of creatures : 

That he doeth, he doeth as a god, and men will marvel at 
his courage. 

Even in crimes, a partial praise cannot be denied to daring, 

And many fearless chiefs have won the friendship of a foe. 



Confidence is conqueror of men ; victorious both over them 
and in them ; 

The iron will of one stout heart shall make a thousand 
quail : 

A feeble dwarf, dauntlessly resolved, will turn the tide of 
battle. 

And rally to a nobler strife the giants that had fled : 

The tenderest child, unconscious of a fear, will shame the 
man to danger, 

And when he dared it, danger died, and faith had vanquished 
fear. 

Boldness is akin to power : yea, because ignorance is weak- 
ness, 



r 



SERIES II.J 



OF FAITH. 



329 



'4 

I 



Knowledge with unshrinkiftg might will nerve the vigorous 

hand: 
Boldness hath a startling strength ; the mouse may fright a 

lion, 
And oftentimes the horned herd is scared by some brave cur. 
Courage hath analogy with faith, for it standeth both in 

animal and moral ; 
The true is mindful of a God, the false is stout in self: 
But true or false, the twain are foith ; and faith worketh 

wonders : 
Never was a marvel done upon the earth, but it had sprung 

of faith : 
Nothing noble, generous, or great, but faith was the root of 

the achievement ; 
Nothing comely, nothing famous, but its praise is faith. 
Leonidas fought in human faith, as Joshua in divine : 
Xenophon trusted to his skill, and the sons of Mattathias to 

their cause : (2*) 
In faith Columbus found a path across those untried waters : 
The heroines of Arc and Saragossa fought in earthly faith : 
Tell was strong, and Alfred great, and Luther wise, by faith ; 
Margaret by faith was valiant for her son, and Wallace 

mighty for his people : 
Faith in his reason iiuide Socrates sublime, as faith in his 

science, Galileo : 
Ambassadors in faith are bold, and unreproved for boldness : 
Faith urged Fabius to delays, and sent forth Hannibal to 

Cannae • 
CcBsar at the Rubicon, Miltiades at Marathon : both were 

sped by faith. 
I set not all in equal spheres : I number not the martyr with 

the patriot ; 
I class not the hero with his horse, because the twain have 

courage ; 
But only for ensample and instruction, that all things stand 

by faith ; 



330 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Albeit faith of divers kinds, and Varying in degrees. 

Tliere is a faith towards men, and there is a faith towards 
God; 

The latter is the gold and the former is the brass ; but both 
are sturdy metal : 

And the brass mingled with the gold floweth into rich Co- 
rinthian ; 

A substance bright and hard and keen, to point Achilles' 
spear : 

So shalt thou stop the way against the foes that hem thee ; 

Trust in God, to strengthen man ; — be bold, for He doth help. 



Yet more : for confidence in man, even to the worst and 

meanest. 
Hath power to overcome his ill, by charitable good. 
Fling thine unreserving trust even on the conscience of a 

culprit. 
Soon wilt thou shame him by thy faith, and he will melt 

and mend : 
The nest of thieves will harm thee not, if thou dost bear thee 

boldly ; 
Boldly, yea and kindly, as relying on their honor : 
For the hand so stout against aggression, is quite disarmed 

by charity ; 
And that warm sun will thaw the heart casehardened by 

long frost. 
Treat men gently, trust them strongly, if thou wish their 

weal ; 
Or cautious doubt and bitter thoughts will tempt the best to 

foil thee. 
Believe the well in sanguine hope, and thou shalt reap the 

better ; 
But if thou deal with men so ill, thy dealings make them 

worse. 
Despair not of some gleams of good still lingering in the 

darkest, 



SERIES II.] 



OF FAITH. 



331 



And among veterans in crime, plead thou as with their chil- 
dren : 

So astonied at Humanities, the bad heart long estranged, 

Shall even weep to feel himself so little worth thy love ; 

In wholesome sorrow will he bless thee ; yea, and in that 
spirit may repent ; 

Thus, wilt thou gain a soul, in mercy given to thy faith. 

Look aside to lack of faith, the mass of ills it bringeth ; 

All things treacherous, base, and vile, dissolving the bro- 
therhood of men. 

Bonds break; the cement hath lost its hold; and each is 
separate from other ; 

That which should be neighborly and good, is cankered into 
bitterness and evil. 

O thou serpent, fell Suspicion, coiling coldly round the 
heart, — 

O thou asp of subtle Jealousy, stinging hotly to the soul, — 

O distrust, reserved, and doubt, — what reptile shapes are 
here. 

Poisoning the garden of a world with death among its flow- 
ers! 

No need of many words, the tale is easy to be told : 

A point will touch the truth, a line suggest the picture. 

For if in thine own home, a cautious man and captious. 

Thou hintest at suspicion of a servant, thou soon wilt make 
a thief; 

Or if too keen in care, thou dost evidently disbelieve thy 
child. 

Thou hast injured the texture of his honor, and smoothed to 
him the way of lying : 

Or if thou observest upon friends, as seeking thee selfishly 
for interest. 

Thou hast hurt their kindliness to thee, and shalt be paid 
with scorn : 

Or if, O silly ones of marriage, your foul and foolish thoughts. 



1^;. 



332 PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 

Harshly misinterpreting in each the levity of innocence for 
sin, 

Shall pour upon the lap of home pain where once was plea- 
sure, 

And mix contentions in the cup, that mantled once with 
comforts. 

Bitterly and justly shall ye rue the punishment due to unbe- 
lief; 

Ye trust not each the other, nor the mutual vows of God ; 

Take heed, for the pit may now be near, a pit of your own 
digging,— 

Faith abused tempteth unto crime, and doubt may make its 
monster. 

Man verily is vile, but more in capability than action ; 

His sinfulness is deep, but his transgressions may be few, 

even from the absence of temptation : 
He is hanging in a gulf midway*, but the air is breathable 

about him : 
Thrust him not from that slight hold, to perish in the vapors 

underneath. 
For, God pleadeth with the deaf, as having ears to hear, 
Christ speaketh to the dead, as those that are capable of 

living ; 
And an evil teacher is that man, a tempter to much sin, 
Who looketh on his hearers with distrust, and hath no con- 
fidence in brethren. 
All may mend ; and sympathies are healing ; and reason 

hath its influence with the worst ; 
And in those worst is ample hope, if only thou have charity, 

and faith. 

Some WHILES have I watched a man exchanging the sobriety 

of faith. 
Old lamps for new, — even for fanatical excitements. 
He gained surface, but lost solidity ; heat, in lieu of health; 



SERIES II.] OF FAITH. 333 

And still with swelling words and tLoughts he scorned his 
ancient coldness : 

But, his strength was shorn as Samson's ; he walked he 
knew not whither ; 

Doubt was on his daily path ; and duties showed not cer- 
tain. 

Until, in an hour of enthusiasm, stung with secret fears, 

He pinned the safety of his soul on some false prophet's 
sleeve. 

And then, that sure word failed ; .and with it, failed his 
faith. 
I It failed, and fell ; O deep and dreadful was his fall in faith. 

He could not stop, with reason's rein, his coursers on the 
slope, 

And so they dashed him down the cliff of hardened unbe- 
lief 

With overreaching grasp he had strained for visionary trea- 
sures, 

But a fiend had cheated his presumption, and hurled him to 
despair. 

So he lay in his blood, the victim of a credulous false faith, 

And many nights, and night-like days, he dwelt in outer 
darkness. 

But, within a while, his variable mind caught a new im- 
pression, 

A new impression of the good old stamp, that sealed him 
when a child . 

He was softened, and abjured his infidelity ; he was wiser, 
and despised his credulity ; 

And turned again to simple faith more simply than before. 

Experience had declared too well his mind was built of 
water. 

And so renoimcing strength in self, he fixed his faith in God. 

It is not for me to stipulate for creeds ; Bible, Church, and 
Reason, 



334 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



These three shall lead the mind, if any can, to truth. 
But [ must stipulate for faith ; both God and man demand it: 
Trust is great in either world, if any would be well. 
Verily, the sceptical propensity is an universal foe ; 
Sneering Pyrrho never found, nor cared to find, a friend : 
How could he trust another 1 and himself, whom would he 

not deceive ? 
His proper gains were all his aim, and interests clash with 

kindness. 
So, the Bedouin goeth armed, an enemy to all, 
The spear is stuck beside his couch, the dagger hid beneath 

his pillow. 
For society, void of mutual trust, of credit, and of faith, 
Would fall asunder as a waterspout, snapped from the cloud's 

attraction. 



Faith may rise into miracles of might, as some few wise 

have shown : 
Faith may sink into credulities of weakness, as the mass of 

fools have witnessed. 
Therefore, in the first, saints and martyrs have fulfilled their 

mission. 
Conquering dangers, courting deaths, and triumphing in all. 
Therefore, in the last, the magician and the witch, victims 

of their own delusion. 
Have gained the bitter wages of impracticable sins. 
They believed in allegiance with Satan ; they worked in 

that belief. 
And thereby earned the loss and harm of guilt that might not 

be. 
For, faith hath two hands ; with the one it addeth virtue to 

indifferents ; 
Yea, it sanctified a Judith and a Jael, for what otherwise 

were treachery aud murder : 
With the other hand it heapeth crime even on impossibles 

or simples, 



r 



SERIES n.] 



OF FAITH. 



335 



And many a wizard well deserved the faggot for his faith : 
He trusted in his intercourse with evil, he sacrificed heartily 

to fiends, 
He withered up with curses to the limit of his will, and was 

vile, because he thought himself a villain. 



A GREAT mind is ready to believe, for he hungereth to feed 
on facts, 

And the gnawing stomach of his ignorance craveth unceas- 
ing to be filled : 

A little mind is boastful and incredulous, for he fancieth all 
knowledge is his own, 

So will he cavil at a truth ; how should it be true, and he 
not know it 1 — 

There is an easy scheme, tQ solve all riddles by the sensual, 

And thus, despising mysteries, to feel the more sufficient : 

For it comforteth the foul hard heart, to reject the pure un- 
seen. 

And relieveth the dull soft head, to hinder one from gazing 
upon vacancy. 

True wisdom, laboring to expound, heareth others readily ; 

False wisdom, sturdy to deny, closeth up her mind to argu- 
ment. 

The sum of certainties is found so small, their field so wide 
an universe, 

That many things may truly be, which man hath not con- 
ceived : 

The characters revealed of God are a strong mind's sole 
assurance 

That any strangeness may not stand a sober theme for faith. 

Ignorance being light denied, this ought to show the stronger 
in its view, "^ 

But ignorance is commonly a double negative, both of light 
and morals : 

So, adding vanity to blindness, for ease it taketh refuge in a 
doubt, 



33G 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



And aching soon with ceaseless doubt, it finisheth the strife 
by misbelieving. 

Faith, by its very nature, shall embrace both credence and 
obedience : 

Yea, the word for both is one, and cannot be divided. (25) 

For, work void of faith, wherein can it be counted for a duty ; 

And faith not seen in work, — whereby can the doctrine be 
discovered ? 

Faith in religion is an instrument ; a handle, and the hand 
to turn it ; 

Less a condition than a mean, and more an operation than a 
virtue. 

A moral sickness, like to sin, must have a moral cure ; 

And faith alone can heal the mind, whooe malady is sense. 

Ye are told of God's deep love ; they that believe will love 
him; 

They that love him, will obey ; and obedience hath its bles- 
sing. 

Ye are taught of the soul's great price : they that believe 
will prize it, 

And, prizing soul, will cherish well the hopes that make it 
happy. 

Effects spring from feelings : and feelings grow of faith : 

If a man conceive himself insulted, will not his anger smite ? 

Thus, let a soul believe his state, his danger, destiny, re- 
demption. 

Will he not feel eager to be safe, like him that kept the 
prison at Philippi 1 



A mother had an only son, and sent him out to sea : 

She was a widow, and in penury ; and he must seek his 

fortunes. 
How often in the wintry nights, when winds and waves 

were howling, 



SERIES II.j 



OF HONESTY. 



337 



Her heart was torn with sickening dread, and bled to see her 

boy. 
And on cne sunny morn, when all around was comfort, 
News came, that weeks agone, the vessel had been wrecked ; 
Yea, wrecked, and he was dead ! they had seen him perish 

in his agony : 
Oh then, what agony was like to hers, — for she believed the 

tale! 
She was bowed and broken down with sorrow, and uncom- 

forted in prayer ; 
Many nights she mourned, and pined, and had no hope but 

death. 
But on a day, while sorely she was weeping, a stranger 

broke upon her loneliness, — 
He had news to tell, that weather-beaten man, and must not 

be denied : 
And what were the wonder-working words that made this 

mourner joyous. 
That swept her heaviness away, and filled her world with 

praise '? 
Her son was saved, — is alive, — is near ! — O did she stop to 

question ! 
No, rushing in the force of faith, she met him at the door ! 



1^ 



OF HONESTY, 

All is vanity which is not honesty ; — thus is it graven on 
the tomb ; — 

And there is no wisdom but in piety; so the dead man 
preacheth : 

For, in a simple village church, among those classic shades 

Which sylvan Evelyn loved to rear (his praise and my de- 
light). 

These the words of truth, are writ upon his sepulchre, 

16 



338 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Who learnt much lore, and knew all trees from the cedar to 

the hyssop on the wall. 
A just conjunction, godliness and honesty, ministering to 

both worlds, 
Well wed, and ill to be divided, a pair that God hath joined 

together. 
I touch not now the vulgar thought, as of tricks and cheate- 

ries in trade ; 
I speak not of honest purpose, character, speech, and action : 
For an honest man hath special need of charity and pru- 
dence. 
Of a deep and humbling self-acquaintance, and of blessed 

commerce with his God, 
So that the keennesses of truth may be freed from asperities 

of censure. 
And the just but vacillating mind be not made the pendulum 

of arguments : 
For a false reason, shrewdly put, can often not be answered 

on the instant. 
And prudence looketh unto faith, content to wait solutions ; 
Yea, it looketh, yea, it waiteth, still holding honesty in 

leash, 
Lest, as a hot 3"oung hound, it track not game, but vermin. 
Many a man of honest heart, but ignorant of self and God, 
Hath followed the marsh-fires of pestilence, esteeming them 

the lights of truth : 
He heard a cause, which he had not skill to solve, and so 

received it gladly, 
And that cause brought its consequence, of harm to an un- 
stable soul. 
Prudence, for man*s own sake, never should be separate from 

honesty ; 
And charity, for others' good and his, must still be joined 

therewith. 
For the harshly chiding tongue hath neither pleasuring nor 

profit, 



SERIES II. J 



OF HONESTY. 



339 



And the cold iinsympathizing heart never gained a good. 
Sin is a sore, and folly is a fever ; touch them tenderly for 

healing : 
The bad chirurgeon's awkward knife harmeth spite of hon- 
esty. 
Still, a rough diamond is better than the polished paste, — 
That courteous flattering fool, who spake of vice as virtue : 
And honesty even by itself, though making many adversaries 
Whom prudence might have set aside, or charity have soft- 
ened. 
Evermore will prosper at the last, and gain a man great 

honor 
By giving others many goods, to his own cost and hinder- 
ance. 



Freedom is father of the honest, and sturdy Independence is 

his brother ; 
These three, with heart and hand dwell together in unity. 
The blunt yeoman, stout and true, will speak unto princes 

unabashed : 
His mind is loyal, just, and free, a crystal in its plain integrity ; 
What should make such an one ashamed 1 where courtiers 

kneel, he standeth ; — 
I will indeed bow before the king, but knees were knit for 

God. 
And many such there be of a high and noble conscience, 
Honorable, generous, and kind, though blessed with little 

light : 
What should he barter for his freedom 1 some petty gain of 

gold ? 
Free of speech and free in act, magnates honor him for bold- 
ness : 
Long may he flourish in his peace, and a stalwart race around 

him, 
tlooted in the soil like oaks, and hardy as the pine upon the 

mountains ! 



m 



340 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Yet, there be others, that will truckle to a lie, selling honesty 
for interest : 

And do they gain 1 — they gain but loss : a little cash, with 
scorn. 

Behold, the sorrowful change wrought upon a fallen nature : 

He hath lost his own esteem, and other mei/s respect ; 

For the buoyancy of upright faith, he is clothed in the heavi- 
ness of cringing ; 

For plain truth where none could err, he had chosen tortuous 
paths ; 

In lieu of his majesty of countenance — the timorous glances 
of servility. 

Instead of Freedom's honest pride, — the spirit of a slave. 



Nevertheless, there is somewhat to be pleaded, even for a 
necessary guile, 

Whilst the world and all that is therein, lieth deep in evil. 

Who can be altogether honest, — a champion never out of 
mail. 

Ready to break a lance for truth with every crowding error 1 

Who can be altogether honest, — dragging out the secresies 
of life, 

And risking to be lashed and loathed for each unkind disclo- 
sure 1 

Who can be altogether honest, — living in perpetual conten- 
tions. 

And prying out the petty cheats that swell the social scheme ? 

For he must speak his instant mind, — a mind corrupt and 
sinful. 

Exhibiting to other men's disgust its undisguised deformities ; 

He must utter all the hatred of his heart, and add to it the 
verlom of his tongue ; 

Shall he feel and hide his feelings 1 that were the meanness 
of a hypocrite. — 

Still, O man, such hypocrisy is better than this bold honesty 
to sin : 



F 



SERIES II.J 



OF HONESTY. 



341 



Kill the feeling, or conceal it : let shame at least do the work 
of charity. 



O CHARITY, thou livest not in warnings, meddling among 
men, 

Rebuking every foolish word, and censuring small sins ; 

This is not thy secret, — rather wilt thou hide their multi- 
tude. 

And silence the condemning tongue, and wearisome exhor- 
tation, 

But for thee, thy strength and zeal shine in encouragement 
to good. 

Lifting up the lantern of ensample, that wanderers may find 
the way : 

That lantern is not lit to gnze on all the hatefulness of evil, 

But set on high for life and light, the loveliness of good. 

The hard censorious mind sitteth as a keen anatomist 

Tracking up the fibres in corruption, and prying on a fearful 
corpse : 

But the charitable soul is a 3'oung lover, enamored little 
wisely, 

That saw no fault in her he loved, and sought to see one 
less. 

So, in his kind and genial light, she grew more worthy of 
his love ; 

Won to good by gentle suns and not by frowning tempest. 

Verily, infirm thyself, — be slow to chide a brother's imper- 
fections. 

For many times the decent veil must hang on faults of na- 
ture, 

And the rude hands, that rend it, oflfend against the modesty 
of right, 

While seeming zeal, and its effort to do good, is only feigned 
self praise : 

Often will the meannesses of life, hidden away in corners, 



342 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Prove wisdom ; and the generous is glad to leave them unre- 
garded in the shade. 

The follies none are found to praise, let them die unblamed : 

Thine honest strife will only tend to make some think them 
wise : 

And small conventional deceits, let them live uncensiired : 

Or if thou war with pigmies, thou shalt haply help the 
cranes. 

Where to be blind was safety, Ovid had been wise for wink- 
ing : (26) 

And when a tell-tale might do harm, be sure it is prudent to 
be dumb : 

That which is just and fit is often found combating with 
honesty : 

In the cause of good, be wise ; and in a case indiiferent, keep 
silence. 

Let honesty's unblushing face be shaded by the mantle of 
humility, 

So shall it shine a lamp of love, and not the torch of strife : 

Otherwise the lantern of Diogenes, presumptuously tiwrust be- 
fore the face, ~ 

If it never find an honest man, shall often make an angered. 

Let honesty be companied by charity of heart, lest it walk 
unwelcome. 

Or the mouthing censor of others and himself, soon shall 
sink to scorn. 

Let honesty be added unto innocence of life : then a man may 
only be its martyr : 

But if openness of speech be found with secresy of guilt, the 
martyr will be seen a malefactor. 



There is a cunning scheme, to put on surface bluntness, 
And cover still deep water, with the clamorous ripples of a 
shallow. 



r 



SERIES ii.J OF HONESTY. 343 

For a man, to gain his selfish ends, will make a stalking 
horse of honesty ; 

And hide his poaching limbs behind, that he may cheat the 
quicker. 

Such a one is loud and ostentatious, full of oaths for argu- 
ment, 

Boastful of honor and sincerity, and not to be put down by 
facts : 

He is obstinate, and showeth it for firmness ; he is rude, dis- 
playing it for truth ; 

And glorieth in doggedness of temper, as if it were uncom- 
promising justice. 

Be aware of such a man ; his brawling covereth designs ; 

This specious show of honesty cometh as the herald of a 
thief: || 

His feint is made with awkward clashing on the buckler's boss. 

But meanwhile doth his secret skill ensure its fatal aim. 
Si This is the hypocrite of honesty ; ye may know him by an 

I overacted part ; 

Taking pains to turn and twist, where other men walk 
straight ; 

Or walking straight, he will not step aside to let another pass, 

But roughly pusheth on, provoking opposition on the way ; 

He is full of disquietude for calmness, full of intriguing for 
simplicity. 

Valorous with those who cannot fight, and humble to the 
brave : 

Where brotherly advice were good, this man rudely blameth, 
;n And on some small occasion, flattereth with coarse praise. 

'* The craven in a lion's skin hath conquered by his character 

for courage ; 

Sheep's clothing helped the wolf, till he slew by his cha- 
racter for kindness. 

For honesty hath many gains, and well the wise have 
known 



344 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



This will prosper to the end, and fill^heir house with gold. 
The phosphorus of cheatery will fade, and all its profit perish. 
While honesty with growing light endureth as the moon. 
Yea, it would be wise in a world of thieves, where cheating 

were a virtue, 
To dare the vice of honesty, if any would be rich. 
For that which by the laws of God is heightened into duty, 
Ever, in the practice of a man, will be seen both policy a;id 

privilege. 
Thank God, ye toilers for your bread, in that, daily laboring, 
He hath suffered the bubbles of self-interest to float upon the 

stream of duty : 
For honesty, of every kind, approved by God and man, 
Of wealth and better weal is found the richest cornucopia. 
Tempered by humbleness and %iarity, honesty of speech 

hath honor ; 
And mingled well with prudence, honesty of purpose hath 

its praise ; 
Trust payeth homage unto truth, rewarding honesty of ac- 
tion ; 
And all men love to lean on him, who never failed nor fainted. 
Freedom gloweth in his eyes and nobleness of nature at 

his heart. 
And Independence took a crown and fixed it on his head : 
So, he stood in his integrity, just and firm of purpose, 
Aiding many, fearing none, a spectacle to angels and to men : 
Yea, — when the shattered globe shall rock in the throes of 

dissolution, 
Still, will he stand in his integrity, sublime — an honest man. 



OF SOCIETY. 



Better is the mass of men. Suspicion, than thy fears, 
Kinder than thy thoughts, O chilling heart of Prudence, 
Purer than thy judgments, ascetic tongue of censure, 

24* 



SERIES II.] OF SOCIETY. 345 

In all things worthier to love, if not also wiser to esteem. 

Yea, let the moralist condemn, there be large extenuations 
of his verdict, 

Let the misanthrope shun men, and abjure, the most are 
rather lovable than hateful. 

How many pleasant faces shed their light on every side, 

How mriny angels unawares have crossed thy casual way ! 

How often in thy journeyings, hast thou made thee instant 
friends, 

Found to be loved a little while, and lost, to meet no more ; 

Friends of happy reminiscence, although so transient in their 
converse, 

Liberal, cheerful, and sincere, a crowd of kindly traits. 

I have sped by land and sea, and mingled with much people. 

But never yet could find the spot unsunned by human kind- 
ness ; 

Some more, and some less, — but, truly, all can claim a little ; 

And a man may travel through the world, and sow it thick 
with friendships. 

There be indeed, to say it in all sorrow, bad apostate souls. 
Deserted of their ministering angels, and given up to liberty 

of sin, — 
And other some, the miserly and mean, whose eyes are keen 

and greedy, 
With stony hearts, and iron fists, to filch, and scrape, and 

clutch, — 
And others yet again, the coarse in mind, selfish, sensual, 

brutish. 
Seeming as incapable of softer thoughts, and dead to better 

deeds. 
Such, no lover of the good, no follower of the generous and 

gentle. 
Can nearer grow to love, than may consist with pity. 
Few verily are these among the mass, and cast in fouler 

moulds, 

16* 



346 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Few and poor in friends, and well-deserving of their poverty : 

Yet, or ever thou hast harshly judged, and linked their pre- 
sence to disgust, 

Consider well the thousand things that made them aU they 
are. 

Thou hast not thought upon the causes, ranged in consecu- 
tive necessity, 

Which tended long to these effects, with sure constraining 
power. 

For each of those unlovely ones, if thou couldst hear his 
story, 

Hath much to urge of just excuse, at least as men count jus- 
tice : 

Foolish education, thwarted opportunities, natural propensi- 
ties unchecked, — 

Thus were they discouraged from all good, and pampered in 
their evil : 

And if thou wilt apprehend them well, tenderly looking on 
temptations, 

Bearing the base indulgently, and liberally dealing with the 
froward. 

Thou shalt discern a few fair fruits even upon trees so 
withered, 

Thou shalt understand how some may praise, and some be 
found to love them. 



Nevertheless for these, my counsel is. Avoid them if thou 

canst ; 
For the finer edges of thy virtues will be dulled by attrition 

with their vice. 
And there is an enemy within thee ; either to palliate their 

sin, 
Until, for surface sweetness, thou too art drawn adown the 

vortex ; 
Or, even unto fatal pride, to glorify thy purity by contrast, 



SERIES II.J 



OF SOCIETY. 



347 



Until the publican and harlot stand nearer heaven than the 

Pharisee : 
Or daily strife against their ill, in subtleness may irritate thy 

soul, 
And in that struggle thou shalt fail, even through infirmity 

of goodness ; 
Or, callous by continuance of injuries, thou wilt cease to 

pardon, 
Cease to feel, and cease to care, a cold case-hardened man. 
Beware of their example, — and thine own ; beware the 

hazards of the battle : 
But chiefly be thou ware of this, an unforgiving spirit. 
Many are the dangers and temptations compassing a bad 

man's presence : 
The upas hath a poisonous shade, and who would slumber 

there 1 
Wherefore, avoid them if thou canst ; only, under providence 

and duty. 
If thy lot be cast with Kedar, patiently and silently live to 

their rebuke. 
How beautiful thy feet, and full of grace thy coming, 
O better kind companion, that art well for either world ! 
There is an atmosphere of happiness floating round that 

man. 
Love is* throned upon his heart, and light is found within 

his dwelling, 
His eyes are rayed with peacefulness, and wisdom waiteth 

on his tongue ; 
Seek him out, cherish him well, walking in the halo of his 

influence ; 
For he shall be fragi*ance to thy soul, as a garden of sweet 

lilies. 
Hedged and apart from the outer world, an island of the blest 

among the seas. 



There is an outer world, and there is an inner centre ; 



348 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



And many varying rings concentric round the self. 

For, first, about a man, — after his communion with heaven, — 

Is found the helpmate even as himself, the wife of his vows 
and his affections : 

See then that ye love in faith, scorning petty jealousies, 

For Satan spoileth too much love, by souring it with doubts ; 

See that intimacy die not to indifference, nor anxiety sink 
into moroseness, 

And tend ye well the mutual minds bound in a copartner- 
ship for life. 



Next of those concentric circles, radiating widely in circum- 
ference. 

Wheel in wheel, and world in world, — come the band of 
children : 

A tender nest of soft young hearts, each to be separately stu- 
died, 

A curious eager flock of minds, to be severally tamed and 
tutored. 

And a man, blest with these, hath made his own society. 

He is independent of the world, hanging on his friends more 
loosely. 

For the little faces around his hearth are friends enow for 
him. 

If he seek others, it is for sake of these, and less for his own 
pleasure. 

What companionship so sweet, yea, who can teach so well 

As these pure budding intellects, and bright unsullied hearts'? 

What voice so musical as theirs, what visions of elegance so 
comely, 

What thoughts and hopes and holy prayers, can others cause 
like these 1 

If ye count society for pastime, — what happier recreation 
than a nursling. 

Its winning ways, its prattling tongue, its innocence and 
mirth 7 



SERIES II. J 



OF SOCIETY. 



349 



If ye count society for good, — how fair a field is here, 

To guide these souls to God, and multiply thyself for heaven ! 



And this sweet social commerce with thy children, groweth 
as their growth, 

Unless thou fail of duty, or have weaned them by thine 
absence. 

Keep them near thee, rear them well, guide, correct, instruct 
them : 

And be the playmate of their games, the judge in their com- 
plainings. 

So shall the maiden and the youth love thee as their sympa- 
thizing friend, 

And bring their joys to share with thee, their sorrows for 
consoling : 

Yea, their inmost hopes shall yearn to thee for counsel, 

They will not hide their very loves if thou hast won their 
trust ; 

But, even as man and woman, shall they gladly seek their 
father, 

Feeling yet as children feel, though void of fear in honor : 

And thou shalt be a Nestor in the camp, the just and good 
old man. 

Hearty still, though full of years, and held the friend of all ; 

No secret shall be kept from thee ; for if ill, thy wisdom may 
repair it : 

If well, thy praise is precious ; and they would not miss that 
prize. 

O the blessing of a home, where old and young mix kindly. 

The young unawed, the old unchllled, in unreserved com- 
munion ! 

O that refuge from the world, when a stricken son or 
daughter 

May seek with confidence of love, a father's hearth and 
heart ; 



350 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Sure of a welcome, though others cast them out ; of kind- 
ness, though men scorn them ; 
And finding there the last to blame, the earliest to commend. 
Come unto me, my son, if sin shall have tempted thee astray, 
I will not chide thee like the rest, but help thee to return ; 
Come unto me, my son, if men rebuke and mock thee, 
There always shall be one to bless, — for I am on thy side I 

Alas, — and bitter is their loss, the parents and the children, 
Who, loving up and down the world, have missed each 

other's friendship. 
Haply, it had grown of careless life, for years go swiftly by ; 
Or sprang of too much carefulness, that drank up all the 

streams : 
Haply, sullen disappointment came and quenched the fire ; 
Haply, sternness or misrule, crushed or warped the feelings. 
Then, ill-combined in tempers, they learnt not each the 

other ; 
The growing child grew out of love, and drew the breath of 

fear; 
The youth ill-trained renounced his fears, and made a league 

with cunning ; 
And so those hardened men were foes, that should have beea 

chief friends. 
Where was the cause, the mutual cause 1 O hunt it out to 

kill it: 
And what the cure, the simple cure 1 — A mutual flash of love. 
For dull estrangement's daily air froze up those early sym- 
pathies 
By cold continuance in apathy, or cutting winds of censure ; 
It was a slow process, which any fleeting hour could have 

melted ; 
B ut every hour duly came and passed without the sun. 
Caution, care, and dry distrust, obscured each other's mind, 
Till both tliose gardens rich to yield, were rank with many 

weeds : 



i 



SERIES II.] 



OF SOCIETY. 



351 



And doubt, a hidden worm, gnawed at the root of their So- 
ciety, 

They lacked of mutual confidence, and lived in mutual 
dread. 

Judge me, many fathers ; and hearken to my counsel, many 
sons ; 

I. come with good in either hand, to reconcile contentions : 

For better friends can no man have, than those whom God 
hath given. 

And he that hath despised the gift, thought ill of that he 
knew not. 

But be ye wiser — (I speak unto the sons), — and win paternal 
friendships. 

Cultivate their kindness, seek them out with honor, and be 
the screening Japheth to their failings : 

And be ye wiser — (I speak unto the fathers), — gain those 
filial comrades, 

Cherish their reasonable converse, and look not with cold- 
ness on your children. 

For the friendship of a child is the brightest gem set upon 
the circlet of Society, 

A jewel worth a world of pains, — a jewel seldom seen. 



The third cycle on the waters, another of those rings upon 
the onyx, 

A further definite broad zone, holdeth kith and kin : 

A motley band of many tribes, and under various banners ; 

The intimate and strangers, the known and loved, or only 
seen for loathing : 

Some, dear for their deserts, shall honor and have honor of 
relationship. 

Some, despising duties, will add to it both burden and dis- 
grace. 

A man's nearest kin are oftentimes far other than his dearest, 

Yet in the season of affliction those will haste to help him. 



352 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



For, note thou this, the providence of God hath bound up 
families'- together, 

To mutual aid and patient trial ; yea, those ties are strong. 

Friends are ever dearer in thy wealth, but relations to be 
trusted in thy need, 

For these are God's appointed way, and those the choice 
of man. 

There is lower warmth in kin, but smtiUer truth in friends. 

The latter show more surface, and the first have more of 
depth. 

Relations rally to the rescue, even in estrangement and ne- 
glect, 

Where friends will have fled at thy defeat, even after promi- 
ses and kindness. 

For friends come and go, the whim that bound may loose 
them. 

But none can dissever a relationship, and Fate hath tied the 
knot. 



Wide, and edged with shadowy bounds, a distant boulevard 

to the city 
The common crowd of social life is buzzing round about : 
That is as the outer court, with all defences levelled, 
Ranged around a man's own fortress, and his father's house. 
For many friends go in and out, and praise thee finding pas- 
ture, 
And some are honey-comb to-day who turn to gall to-mor- 
row : 
And many a garrulous acquaintance with his frequent visit 
Will spend his leisure to thy cost selling dullness dearly : 
For the idle call is a heavy tax, where time is counted gold, 
And even in the day of relaxation, haply he may spare his 

presence, — 
He found him-elf alone, and came to talk, — till they that 
hear are tired : 



I 



SERIES II. J 



OF SOCIETY. 



353 



i 



Let the man bethink him of an errand : that his face be not 
unwelcome. 

But many friends there be both well and wisely greeted, 
Gladly are they hailed upon the hills, and are chidden that 

they come so seldom. 
Of such are the early recollections, school friendships that 

have thriven to grey hairs, 
And veteran men are young once more, and talk of boyish 

pranks ; 
And such, yet older on the list, are those who loved thy 

father, 
Thy father's friend, and thine, who tendereth thee tried love : 
Such also, many gentle hearts, whom thou hast known too 

lately, 
Hastening now to learn their worth, and chary of those 

minutes ; 
And such thy faithful pastor, coming to thy home with 

peace ; — 
Greet the good man heartily, — and bid thy children bless 

him ! 



Ma-ny thoughts, many thoughts, — who can catch them all 1 
The best are ever swiftest winged, the duller lag behind : 
For behold in these vast themes, my mind is as a forest of 

the West, 
And flocking pigeons come in clouds, and bend the groaning 

branches ; 
Here for a rest, then off and away, — they have sped to other 

climes, 
And leave me to my peace once more, a holldiy from thoughts. 
I dare not lure them back, for the mighty subject of Society 
Would tempt to many a hackneyed note in many a weary 

key; 
Sage warnings, stout advice, experiences ever to be learned. 
The foolish floatiness of vanity, and solemn trumperies of 

pride, — 

30* 



"^^■MMm 



354 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Economy, the poor man's mint, — extravagance, the rich 

man's pitfall, 
Harmful copings with the better, and empty-headed apings 

of the worse. 
Circumstance and custom, sympathies, antipathies, diverse 

kinds of conversation. 
Vapid pleasures, the weariness of gaiety, the strife and bustle 

of the world, 
Home comforts, the miseries of style, the cobweb lines of 

' etiquette. 
The hollowness of courtesies and substance of deceits, — 

idleness, business, and pastime, — 
The multitude of matters to be done, the when, and where, 

and how. 
And varying shades of characters, to do, undo, or miss them, — 
All these, and many more alike, thick converging fancies. 
Flit in throngs about my theme, as honey-bees at even to 

their hive. 
Find an end or make one : these seeds are dragon's teeth : 
Sown thoughts grow to things, and fill that field, the world : 
Many wise have gone before, and used the sickle well ; 
Who can find a corner now, where none have bound the 

sheaves 1 
So, other some may reap : I do but glean and gather : 
My sorry handful hath been culled after the ripe harvest of 

Society. 



OF SOLITUDE. 

Who hath known his brother, or found him in his freedom 
unrestrained ! 

Even he whose hidden glance hath watched his deepest Soli- 
tude. 

For we walk the world in domino, putting on characters and 
habits, 



SERIES II.] 



OF SOLITUDE. 



355 



And wear a social Janus mask, while others stand around, 

I speak not of the hypocrite, nor dream of meant deceptions, 

But of that quick unconscious change, whereof the best 
know most. 

For mind hath its influence on mind ; and no man is free but 
when alone ; 

Yea, let a dog be watching thee, its eye will tend to thy 
restraint. 

Self-possession cannot be so perfect, with another intellect 
beside thee, 

It is not as a natural result, but rather the educated produce. 

The presence of a second spirit must control thine own, 

And throw it off its equipoise of peace, to balance by an effort. 

The common minds of common men know of this but little. 

What then 1 they know nothing of themselves : I speak to 
those who know. 

The consciousness that some are hearing, cometh as a care. 

The sense that some are watching near, bindeth thee to 
caution ; 

And the tree of tender nerves shrinketh as a touched mi- 
mosa. 

Drooping like a plant in drought, with half its strength de- 
cayed. 

There are antipathies warning from the many, and sympa- 
thies drawing to the some, 

But merchant-minds have crushed the first, and cannot feel 
the latter : 

Whereas to the quickened apprehension of a keen and spi- 
ritual intellect. 

Antipathies are filing, and sympathies oppress, and solitude 
is quiet. 



He that dwelleth mainly by himself, heedeth most of others, 
But they that live in crowds, think chiefly of themselves. 
There is indeed a selfish seeming, where the anchorite liveth 
alone, 



356 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



But probe his thoughts, — they travel far, dreaming for ever 
of the world : 

And there is an apparent generosity, when a man mixeth 
freely with his fellows, 

But prove his mind by day and night, his thoughts are all of 
self: 

The world, inciting him to pleasures, or relentlessly provok- 
ing him to toil, 

Is full of anxious rivals, each with a difference of interest ; 

So must he plan and practise for himself, even as his own 
best friend ; 

And the gay soul of dissipation never had a thought un- 
selfish. 

The hermit standeth out of strife, abiding in a contemplative 
calmness ; 

What shall he contemplate, — himself? a meagre theme for 
musing : 

He hath cast off follies, and kept aloof from cares ; a man of 
simple wants ; 

God and his soul, these are his excuse, a just excuse for soli- 
tude. 

But he carried with him to his cell the half-dead feelings of 
humanity ; 

There were they rested and refreshed ; and he yearned 
once more on men. 



Where is the wise, or the learned, or the good, that sought 
not solitude for thinking, 

And from seclusion's secret vale brought forth his precious 
fruits 1— 

Forests of Aricia, your deep shade mellowed Numa*s wis- 
dom. 

Peaceful gardens of Vaucluse, ye nourished Petrarch's love ; 

Solitude made a Cincinnatus, ripening the hero and the pa- 
triot. 



SERIES II.J 



OF SOLITUDE. 



357 



And taught De Stael self-knowledge, even in the damp Bas- 

tile; (27) 
It fostered the piety of Jerome, matured the labors of Augus- 
tine, 
And gave imperial Charles religion for ambition : 
That which Scipio praised, that which Alfred practised, 
Which fired Demosthenes to eloquence, and fed the mind of 

Milton, 
Which quickened zeal, nurtured genius, found out the secret 

things of science, 
Helped repentance, shamed folly, and comforted the good 

with peace, — 
By all men just and wise, b^'- all things pure and perfect. 
How truly. Solitude, art thou the fostering nurse of great- 
ness! 

Enough ; the theme is vast ; sear me these necks of Hydra : 
What shall drive away the thoughts flocking to this carcass ! 
Yea, — that all which man may think, hath long been said of 

Solitude ; 
For many wise have proved and preached its evils and its 

good. 
I cannot add, — I will not steal ; enough, for all is spoken : 
Yet heed thou these for practice and discernment among 

men. 



i 



There are pompous talkers, solemn, oracular, and dull : 
Track them from society to solitude ; and there ye find them 

fools. 
There are light-hearted jesters, taking up with company for 

pastime ; 
How speed they when alone 1 — serious, wise, and thoughtful. 
And wherefore 1 both are actors, saving when in solitude, 
There they live their truest life, and all things show sincere : 
But the fool by pomposity of speech strive th to be counted 

wise, 



358 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



And the wise for holiday and pleasance, playeth with the 

fool's best bauble. 
The solemn seemer, as a rule, will be found more ignorant 

and shallow 
Than those who laugh both loud and long, content to hide 

their knowledge. 

For thee ; seek thou Solitude, but neither in excess, nor mo- 
rosely ; 
Seek her for her precious things, and not of thine own pride. 
For there, separate from a crowd, the still small voice will 

talk with thee. 
Truth's whisper, heard and echoed by responding conscience ; 
There, shalt thou gather up the ravelled skeins of feeling, 
And mend the nets of usefulness, and rest awhile for duties ; 
There, shalt thou hive thy lore, and eat the fruits of study. 
For Solitude delighteth well to feed on many thoughts ; 
There as thou sittest peaceful, communing with fancy, 
The precious poetry of life shall gild its leaden cares ; 
There, as thou walkest by the sea, beneath the gentle stars, 
Many kindling seeds of good will sprout within thy soul ; 
Thou shalt weep in Solitude, — thou shalt pray in Solitude, 
Thou shalt sing for joy of heart, and praise the grace of Soli- 
tude. 
Pass on, pass on ! — for this is the path of Wisdom : 
God make thee prosper on the way : I leave thee well with 
Solitude. 



THE END. 

Every beginning is shroiided in a mist, those vague ideas 

beyond. 
And the traveller setteth on his journey, oppressed with 

many thoughts, 



SERIES II.j 



THE END. 



359 



I 



Balancing his hopes and fears, and looking for some order in 

the chaos, 
Some secret path between the cliffs, that seem to bar his 

way : 
So he commenceth at a clue, unravelling its tangled skein, 
And boldly speedeth on to thread the labyrinth before him. 
Then as he gropeth in the darkness, light is attendant on his 

steps, 
He walketh straight in fervent faith, and difficulties vanish 

at his presence, 
The very flashing of his sword scattereth those shadowy 

foes ; 
Confident and sanguine of success, he goeth forth conqueriug 

and to conquer. 



Every middle is burdened with a weariness, — to have to go 

as far again, — 
And Diligence is sick at heart, and Enterprise foot-sore : 
That which began in zeal, bursting as a fresh-dug spring, 
Goeth on doggedly in toil, and hath no help of nature : 
Then, is need of moral might, to wrestle with the animal re- 
action. 
Still to fight, with few men left, and still though faint pur- 
suing. 
The middle is a marshy flat, whereon the wheels go heavily, 
With clouds of doubt above, and ruts of discouragement be- 
low : 
Press on, sturdy traveller, yet a league, and yet a league ! 
While every step is binding wings on thy victorious feet. 

Every end is happiness, the glorious consummation of de- 
sign. 
The perils past, the fears annulled, the journey at its close : 
And the traveller resteth in complacency, home-returned at 
last: 



I 



360 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



Work done may claim its wages, the goal gained hath won 

its prize. 
While the labor lasted, while the race was running. 
Many-times the sinews ached, and half-refused the struggle ; 
But now, all is quietness, a pleasant hour given to repose ; 
Calmness in the retrospect of good, and calmness in the 

prospect of a blessing. 
Hope was glad in the beginning, and fear was sad midway. 
But sweet fruition cometh in the end, a harvest safe and sure. 
That which is, can never not have been : facts are solid as 

the pyramids : 
A thing done is written in the rock, yea, with a pen of iron. 
Uncertainty no more can scare, the proof is seen complete, 
Nor accident render unaccomplished, for the deed is finished. 
Thus the end shall crown the work, with grace, unto the 

topstone, 
And the work shall triumph in its crown, with peace, peace, 

unto the builder. 



I have written, as other some of old, in quaint and meaning 
phrase. 

Of many things for either world, a crowd of facts and fan- 
cies : 

And will ye judge me, men of mind ?— judge in kindly calm- 
ness ; 

For bitter words of haste or hate have often been repented. 

Deep dreaming upon surface reading : imagery crowded over 
argument ; 

Order less considered in the multitude of thoughts : this wit- 
nessing is just ; 

Scripture gave the holier themes, the well-turned words, and 
wisdom ; 

While Fancy on her swallow's wing skimmed those deeper 
waters. 

And wilt thou say with shrewdness, — He hath burnished up 
old truths, 



SERIES II.] 



THE END. 



361 



But where he seemed to fashion new, the novelty was false ? 
Alas, for us in these last days, our elders reaped the harvest ; 
Alas, for all men in all times, who glean so many tares ! 
That which is true, how should it be new ; for I am young 
in wisdom. 



Nevertheless, I have spoken at my best, according to the 
mercies given me, 

Of high, and deep, and famous things, of Evil, or of Good.(28) 

I have told of Errors near akin to Truth, and wholesomes 
linked with poison ; 

Of subtle Uses in the humblest, and the deep-laid plots of 
Pride : 

I have praised Wisdom, comforted thy Hope, and proved to 
thee the folly of complainings ; 

Hinted at the hazard of an influence, and turned thee from 
the terrors of Ambition. 

I have shown thee thy captivity to Law ; yet bade thee hide 
Humilities ; 

I have lifted the curtains of Memory ; and smoothed the soft 
pillow of Rest. 

Experience had his sober hour ; and Character its keen ap- 
preciation ; 

And holy Anger stood sublime, where Hatred fell condemned. 

Prayer spake the mind of God, even in his own good words ; 

And Zeal, with kindness warmly mixt, allied him to Discre- 
tion. 

I taught thee that nothing is a Trifle, even to the laugh of 
Recreation : 

I led thee with the Train of Religion, to be dazzled at the 
name of the Triune. 

Thought confessed his unseen fears ; and Speech declared 
his triumphs : 

I sang the blessedness of books ; and commended the pru- 
dence of a letter; 

Riches found their room, either unto honor — or despising ; 

31 



362 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [seeies ii. 



Inventions took their lower place, for all things come of God. 

I scorned Ridicule ; nor would humble me for Praise ; for I 
had gained Self-knowledge : 

And pleaded fervently for Brutes, who suffer for man's sin. 

Then, I rose to Friendship ; and bathed in all the tenderness 
of Love ; 

Knew the purity of Marriage : and blessed the face of Chil- 
dren. 

And whereas by petulance or pride, I had haply said some 
evil, 

Mine after-thought was Tolerance, to bear the faults of all : 

Many faults, ill to hear, bred the theme of Sorrow ; 

Many virtues, dear to see, induced the gush of Joy. 

Thus, for a while, as leaving thee in joy, was I loath to break 

that spell ; 
I roamed to other things and thoughts, and fashioned other 

books. 
But in a season of reflection, after many days, 
A thought stood before me in its garment of the past, — and 

lo, a legion with it ! 
They came in thronging bands, — I could not fight nor fly 

them, — 
And so they took me to their tent, the prisoner of thoughts. 



Then, I bade thee greet me well, and heed my cheerful 

counsels ; 
For every day we have a Friend, who changeth not with 

time. 
Gladly did I speak of my commission, for I felt it graven on 

my heart, 
And could not hold my wiser peace, but magnified mine 

oliice. 
Mystery had left her echoes in my mind, and I discoursed 

her secret : 



SERIES II.] 



THE END. 



363 



And thence I turned aside to Man, and judged hiin for his 
Gifts. 

Beauty, noble thesis, had a world of sweets to sing of, 

And d sted all her praise from God, the birthday of the soul. 

Thence grew Fame ; and Flattery came like Agag; 

But this was as the nauseous dregs of that inspiring cup; 

Forth from Flattery sprang in opposition harsh and dull 
Neglect ; 

And kind Contentment's gentle fiice to smile away the sad- 
ness. 

Life, all buoyancy and light, and Death, that sullen silence, 

Sped the soul to Immortality, the final home of man. 

Then, in metaphysical review, passed a triple troop, 

Swift Ideas, sounding Names, and heavily armed Things; 

Faith spake of her achievements even among men her 
brethren ; 

And Honesty, with open mouth, would vindicate himself; 

The retrospect of social life had many truths to tell of, 

And then I left thee to thy Solitude, learning there of Wis- 
dom. 



Friend and scholar, lover of the right, mine equal kind com- 
panion, — 

I prize indeed thy favor, and these sympathies are dear : 

Still, if thy heart be little with me, wot thou well, my 
brother, 

I canvass not the smile of praise, nor dread the frowns of 
censure. 

Throu*-!! many themes in many thoughts, have we held 
sweet converse ; 

But God alone be praised for mind ! He only is sufficient. 

Ai:d every thought in every theme by prayer had been estab- 
lished ; 

Who then should fear the face of man, when God hath 
answered prayer? 

I speak it not in arrogance of heart, but humbly, as of justice, 



364 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



I think it not in vanity of soul, but tenderly, for gratitude, — 
God hath blessed my mind, and taught it many truths ; 
And I have echoed some to thee, in weakness, yet sincerely : 
Yea, though ignorance and error shall have marred those 

lessons of His teaching. 
I stand in mine own Master's prais€, or fall to His reproof. 
If thou loves t, help me with thy blessing ; if otherwise, 

mine shall be for thee ; 
If thou approvest, heed my words ; if otherwise, in kind- 
ness be my teacher. 
Many mingled thoughts for self have warped my better aim. 
Many motives tempted still, to toil for pride or praise ; 
Alas, I have loved pride and praise, like others worse or 

worthier ; 
But hate and fear them now, as snakes that fastened on my 

hand : 
ScsBVola burnt both hand and crime ! but Paul flung the 

viper on the fire : 
He shook it off, and felt no harm : so be it ! — I renounce 

them. 
Rebuke then, if thou wilt rebuke, — but neither hastily nor 

harshly; 
Or, if thou wilt commend, be it honestly, of right ; I work 

for God and Good. 



NOTES. 



FIRST SERIES. 

(1) " And thine enfranchised fellows hail thy white victorious 

sailsy Page 11. 

See the story of Theseus, as detailed in Dryden's transla- 
tion of Plutarch, Life I. 

(2) " Who hath companied a vision from the horn or ivory 

gate ?" Page 14. 

Virg., Mn. VI., 894-897. 

" Sunt geminsB sonml portae ; quarum altera fertur 
Cornea ; qua veris ficilis datur exitus umbris ; 
Altera candenti perfecta nitens elephanto ; 
Sed falsa ad ccelum mittunt insomnia Manes." 



(3) " The seawort floating on the waves,'*^ <^c. Page 17. 

The common sea-weeds on the shores of Europe, the algae 
and fuci, after having, for ages, been considered as synony- 
mous with everything vile and worthless, have, in modern 
tiftes, been found to be abundant in iodine, the only known 
cure for scrofula, and kelp, so useful for many manuftictures. 
Horace has signalized his ignorance of this fact in Od. III. 
31* 



366 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



17, 10, "alga iniitili," &c. ; and, in 11. Sat. 5, 8, ironically 

saying, that " virtus, nisi cum re, vilior alget est.'* 

Virgil also has put into the mouth of Thyrsis, in Eel. VH., 
42. 

" Projecta vilior alga." 



(4) " Hath the crocus yielded up its bulb ?" c^c. Page 18. 

The autumnal crocus, or colchicum, which consists of 
little more than a deep bulbous root, and a delicate lilac 
flower (see page 152), produces a substance which is called 
veratrin, and has been used with signal success in the cure 
of gout and similar diseases. A few lines lower down, with 
reference to the elm, I would remark, that no use has yet 
been discovered in the principle called " ulmine." 

"The boon of far Peru" is the potatoe. 

(5) " When acorns give out fragrant drink,^* <^c. Page 18. 

At a meeting of the Medico-Botanical Society (in 1837), 
the President introduced to the notice of the members a new 
beverage which very much resembled coffee, and was made 
from acorns peeled, chopped, and roasted. Bread made from 
sawdust, is certainly not very palatable, but no one can 
doubt that it is far more sweet and wholesome than " no 
bread :" in a famine, this discovery, which has passed almost 
sub silentio, would prove to be of the highest importance. 
The darnel, it may be observed in passing, is highly poison- 
ous, and a proper opposite to the lotus. 

(6) "jffe, who seeming old in youth,^'' ^c. Page 26. 

Compare Isa. lii., 14, " His visage was so marred more than 
any man, and his form more than the sons of men," with 
the idea implied in the observation, John viii, 57, " Thou art 
not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham '?" Our 
Lord was then thirty-three, or, according to some chronolo- 
gists, even younger. 



SERIES I.] 



NOTES. 



367 



(') " A sentence hath formed a character, and a character 
subdued a kingdom.'''' Page 31. 

A better instance of this could scarcely be found than in 
the late Lord Exmouth, who first directed his thoughts to 
the sea from a casual remark made by a groom. See his 
Life. 

(S) " That small cavern,"" 8rc. Page 33. 

The pineal gland, a small oval about the size of a pea, 
situated nearly in the centre of the brain, and generally 
found to contain, even in children, some particles of gravel. 
Galen, and after him, Des Cartes, imagined it the seat of the 
soul. 

(^) " The Greek hath, surnamed, order." Page 41. 

"K oar 1X0 g I The Latins also, who rarely can show a beauti- 
ful idea which they have not borrowed from Greece, have 
made a similar application of the term " mundus " to the 
fabric of the world. 

(10) " To this our day, the Rechabite wanteth not a man,"*^ ^c. 

Page 50. 

I have heard it related of Wolfe, the missionary, that when 
in Arabia, he fell in with a small wandering tribe who re- 
fused to drink wine, not on Mohammedan principles, but 
because it had in old time been " forbidden by Jonadab, the 
son of Rechab, their father." Compare Jeremiah xxxv., 19, 
" Jonadab, the son of Rechab, shall not want a man to stand 
before me for ever." It will be found in Mr. Wolfe's 
Journal. 



(n) ^^ Of Rest:' Page 50. 

A very obvious objection to the views of Rest here given 
has probably occurred to more than one religious reader of 



368 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



the English Bible ! " there remaineth a rest for the people of 
God ;" doubtless intending the heavenly inheritance. If the 
Greek Testament is referred to (Heb iv., 9) the word translat- 
ed "rest" will be found to be aal3PaTi<Tjx6s i a sabbati^m, 
or perpetual sabbath, a rest indeed from evil, l)Ut very far 
from being a rest from good : an eternal act of ecstatic intel- 
lectual worship, or temporary acts in infinite series. It is 
true that another word, Karanavcig, implying complete ces- 
sation, occurs in the context ; but this is used of the earthly 
image, Joshua's rest in Canaan ; the material rest of earth 
becomes in the skies a spiritual sabbath ; although I am 
ready to admit that the apostle goes on to argue from the 
word of the type. In passing, let us observe, by way of 
showing the uncertainty of trusting to any isolated expres- 
sion of the present scriptural version, that there are no less 
than six several words of various meaning which in our 
New Testament are all indifferently rendered r^t; as in 
Matt, xii., 43, dva-rravais : in John xi., 13, Ko'mr\(ns : in Heb. 
iii., 11, Karuizavcng '. in Acts ix., 31, elprjvr] : in 2 Thess. i., 7, 
avea-is : and in Heb. iv., 9, aali^aTic^icg. The Koiixr]ais\s, I 
apprehend, what is generally meant by rest ; so wiishes 
Byron's Giaour to " sleep without the dream of what he 
was;" so he who in life "loathed the languor of repose," 
avows that he " would not, if he might, be blest, and sought 
no paradise but Rest." Such, at least, is not the Christian's 
sabbath, which indeed fully agrees, as might be expected, 
with metaphysical inquiries : a good spirit cannot rest from 
activity in good, nor an evil one from activity in evil. Rest, 
in its common slothful acceptation, is not possible, or is at 
any rate very improbable, in the case of spiritual creatures. 



(1"^) " Calm night that breedeth thoughts.'''' Page 50. 

^v(pp6vr). Another delicate example of the Greek elegance 
in mind and language 



SERIES I.J NOTES. 369 

(13) " Proteus,'' ^c. Page 59. 

Compare Virgil, Geor. IV., 406, 412. 

" Turn variae eludent species atque ora ferar^m. 
Fiet enim subito sus horridus, atraque tigris, 
Squamosusque draco, et fulva cervice leeena ; 
Aut acrem flammae sonitum dabit, atque ita vinclis 
Excidet; aut in aquas tenues dilapsus abibit. 
Sed, quanto ille magis formas se vertet in omnes, 
Tanto, nate, magis contende tenacia vincla." 

(14) "'f^Te waity like the sage of Salamis, to see what the end 

will ber Page 63. 

In allusion to the well-known anecdote of Solon at the 
court of CroBsus. 

(15) " Crowned with a rainbow of emerald, the green memorial 

of earthy Page 84. 
See Rev. iv., 3, " There was a rainbow round about the 
throne, in sight like unto an emerald :" it may be a fanciful, 
but it is a pleasing idea, that this emerald rainbow was, as it 
were, a reflection of the earth, which " God so loved," and 
whose universal robe is green. 

(16) " Like the Parthian^ Page 94. 

Compare Horace, Od. I., 19, 12, " Versis animosum equis 
Parthum," and Virg., Geo. III., 31, "Parthus fidens fuga, ver- 
sisque sagittis," with Psalm Ixxviii., 9, " The children of 
Ephraim carrying bows, who turned themselves back in the 
day of battle." 

(17) '^^ The giant king of palms'' Page 95. 

The magnificent Talipat palm, the column of which fre- 
quently exceeds one hundred feet in height, whose leaves 
are each thirty feet in breadth, and whose single crop of 
fruit feasts a whole country. 



370 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



(ISj " It IS only the hand of the redeemed who can tell thee the 
fullness of that name.'''' Page 100. 

Strictly speaking, only a fallen being is capable of re-lig-ion, 
a bringing or binding back of the affections to their proper 
object. An angel, or other pure intelligence, can have no 
sympathies with the fallen, as such, and therefore can know 
nothing of re-ligion, as such, his worship is allegiance or 
ligeance. 

(19) '' Of a Trinit7j:' Page 100. 

The candid reader who dissents from the doctrine of the 
Trinity, will have the goodness to remember, that the ques- 
tion itself stands on far other and higher grounds than those 
of mere analogy ; this observation is made in case the slight 
argument here urged sheuld seem weak and unsatisfactory 
to a reflective mind : it is nothing more than an addition pro 
lucro. It does not at all affect the argument that the three 
elements of all things should be now unknown or unsus- 
pected. The idea thrown out may one day be found to be 
correct ; and in fact it will be very difhcult to prove the 
contrary, inasmuch as to an assertion of its falsity, " ready 
answer cometli," — wait until we know more. 

(20) " The noonday light is a compound, the triiine shadow of 
Jehovah;' Page 103. 

The rainbow, wliich is light analysed, is but three colors, 
blue, yellow, and red, with their intermediate shades. I 
think no one of these can be mixed or made of others, and 
in their union they produce colorless light. 



(21) " Upon whose lips the mystic Jee," 8rc. Page 115. 

The classical reader will not need to be reminded of the 
omen that happened to the infant Pindar. 



SERIES I.J 



NOTES. 



371 



(2^) " Let another Omar hum the full library of knowledge^ 

Page 118. 

The Alexandrian library, compiled by Ptolemy Euergetes, 
contained 700,000 manuscripts, all of which were burnt by 
the fanatical calif Omar. 

(23) «' y/ig strange skin garments cast upon the shore suggest 
another hemispherey Page 129. 

An anecdote I have somewhere heard of Columbus, who, 
having sailed as far as Flores, one of the western islands, 
was indaced to proceed further from hearing that savige 
robes and weapons had been cast up by the sea, after the 
prevalence of westerly gales. It will probably be met with 
in Washington Irving's Life of Columbus. 

(24) " The lichen . . . dying diggeth its own graved 
Page 129. 

One of the great uses of these pioneers of vegetation is to 
corrode and fret the smooth surface of the rocks, by an acid 
which they generate during decomposition. 

(25) " Ridicule— the test of truth:' Page 132. 

One of the weakest points in the Shaftesbury philosophy, 
which would weigh principles against puns. 

(26) ^^ ^nd being but men, as men, ye own to all the sympathies 
of manhoody Page 150. 

The noble and masculine sentiment of Terence, which of 
old electrified the whole theatre : 

"Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto." 



(27) '« Oanesar Page 177. 
The Elephant-headed god of prudence, who is invoked on 



372 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series i. 



every occasion by the Hindoos. Kali, called also Durga, is a 
destroying power. Kamala signifies " lotus-like," a type of 
beauty, and one of the names of Lakshmi. Vishnu is the 
great Preserver in the Brahmin triad : his incarnations are 
called avatars. 



(28) " Qod will not love thee less, because men love thee more." 

Page 176. 

It may be scarcely necessary to remark, that the gist of the 
argument in Matt, v., 11, " Blessed are ye, when men shall 
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of 
evil against you," lies in the " falsely for my sake." This 
verse has all the characteristics of an epigram, — paradox, 
brevity, and final satisfaction. 



NOTES. 



SECOND SERIES. 

(i; " Hunt with Aurengiebe,^'' <$-c. Page 187. 

The great Mogul ; who reigned in the seventeenth cen- 
tury; and was famous, amongst other things, for having all 
but exterminated wild beasts from the region of Hindoostan ; 
he effected this by surrounding the whole country with his 
army, and then drawing to a focus with the animals in the 
centre. Somerville, in the end of Book ii. of the Chase, 
gives a spirited account of that mighty hunting : 

"Now the loud trumpet sounds a charge. The shouts 
Of eager hosts, through all the circling line, 
And the wild bowlings of the beasts within 
Rend wide the welkin ; flights of arrows, winged 
With death, and javelins launched from every arm, 
Gall sore the brutal bands, with many a wound 
Gored through and through." 

(2) Page 188. 

Heraclitus and Democritus are severally known as the 
crying and laughing philosophers : they typify opposite seek- 
ers after wi.sdom ; both being prejudiced by excess. Our age 
of the world seems to have fallen upon the latter, which, 
32 



374 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



with a protest against abuse, is certainly the wiser of the 
two. *' The house of mourning is better than the house of 
feasting," for this influence, along with others of more 
weight; viz. that it tends to a cheerful and calm reaction, 
rather than to feelings of dullness and satiety. A few lines 
further, " the luxury of Capuan holidays," alludes to Han- 
nibal's fatal rest after the battle of Cannae. 

(3) Revelation xxi., 8. Page 189. 

" But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, 
and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idol- 
aters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake that 
burneth with fire." 



(■*) ^^ Deucalion flinging hack the pebble in Ms flight" ^c, 
' Page 197. 

Descendunt ; velantque caput, tunicasque recingunt; 
Et jussos lapides sua post vestigia mittunt. 
Saxa (quis hoc credat, nisi sit pro teste vetustas ?) 
Ponere duritiem coepere, suumque rigorem : &c. &c. 
Inque brevi spatio, superorum munere, saxa 
Missa viri manibus faciem trax^re virilem. 

Ovid. Met, lib. i. 

(5) " Cop an and Palenque," ire. Page 206. 

The remains of these ancient cities, buried in the forests 
of central America, have been recently made known to our 
wonder in the entertaining Travels of Mr. J. L. Stephens. 
A brief and apt quotation, to illustrate the line, occurs in 
vol. i., p. 103. " * * Some fragments with most elegant 
designs, and some in workmanship equal to the finest monu- 
ments of the Egyptians : one, displaced from its pedestal by 
enormous roots : another locked in the close embrace of 
branches of trees, and almost lifted out of the earth; an- 
other, hurled to the ground, and bound down by huge vines 



SERIES II. J 



NOTES. 



375 



and creepers ; and one standing, with its altnr before it, in a 
grove of trees which grew around, seemingly to stiade and 
shroud it, as a sacred thing; in the solemn stillness of the 
woods, it seemed a divinity mourning over a fallen people." 

(6) Page 235. 

Corinna, a Theban lady, was once adjudged to have over- 
come in verse her countryman, the deep-mouthed Pind;ir; 
but she is credibly believed to have owed her success in 
great measure to her beauty. Phryne (not the too celebrated 
courtezan of Athens, but a Phryne of fairer f^ime) is men- 
tioned as having been accused, like Socrates, of impiety 
against heathenism, and like him also condemned to die : 
however, the fairer witness of truth was fortunite enough to 
escape mirtyrdom by unveiling her bosom to the judges, and 
thereby influencing their sentence. Q-uintili in, Orit. lib. ii., c. 
15, has this passage to our purpose. " Et Phrynen * * * con- 
spectu corporis, qiiod ilia, speciosissimum alioqui,diducta nu- 
davenU tunica, putant periculo liberitam." And Athenaius, 
xiii. 590, tells us that it was by the address and counsel of 
Hyperides her advocate, that Trpoayaychu avrnv s:s roififaus^, 
Kil rrepij)' prj^ag rovg ^iTOiuioKOvg, yvjju'a re ri ot' pva 
TTOifiaas, he influenced the judges of the Areopagus to acquit 
her. " Ionian Myrrha" is a character finely drawn by Byron 
in his tragedy of Sardanapalus. 



(7) " Some JSTireus of the camp'^ 8rc. Page 239. 

Homer disposes very summirily of a personage who has 
nothing to recommend him but his beiuty. Nircus is men- 
tioned only in one passage of the Iliad : lib. ii., 673. Ntpgnj, 
OS KaWicTog avr]p, &c. ; and it is significantly added, 
'AAX'a.Xa rajj/oj erjv : an epithet of double intention, power- 
less in troops, and imbecile in mind. 



376 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



(8) 1 Esdras iv., 13, et seq. Page 240. 

Zorobabel holds argument before Darius, that " Woman is 
more powerful than wine or the king, but that Truth beareth 
off the victory from woman." He sets up beauty above all 
earthly things, v., 32, " O ye men, how can it be but women 
should be strong, seeing they do thus V and it is small dis- 
paragement, that Truth should overcome her; for "Great is 
truth, and mighty above all things." v., 41. 

(9) Ezekiel xxviii., 12. Page 243. 

"Thou sealest up the sum," (otherwise to be rendered, 
"Thou art the standard of measures,") "full of wisdom, 
and perfect in beauty." It is quite fair, and according to 
scriptural usage (compare Hosea xi., with Matt, ii., 15), to 
take such a passage as this out of its context, as primarily 
referable to a king of Tyrus, but in a higher sense applicable 
to the King of Heaven. 

(10) Page 244. 

Eratostratus fired the temple of Diana at Ephesus, solely 
to make himself a name : the incendiary certainly succeeded, 
for he has come down to our times, famous (if in no other 
way) at least for his criminal and foolish love of notoriety. 
Pythagoras induced the vulgar to believe in his supernatural 
qualifications, by immuring himself in a cavernous pit for 
months, whence, returning with a ghastly aspect, he gave 
out that he had been a visitor in Hades. As for EmpedocleSf 
few cannot have heard, that he leaped into Etna to make the 
world imagine that he had vanished from its surface as a 
god : unluckily, however, the volcano disgorged one of the 
philosopher's sandals, and proved at once the manner of his 
death, and the quality of his mind ; ex pede Herculem. 

(11) " Cmsar's wife:' Page 246. 
Pompeia, third wife of Julius Ca3sar, and divorced from 



I 



SERIES II. J 



NOTES. 



377 



him, according to Plutarch (see Langhorne's fourth edition, 
iv., 368), solely because "he would have the chastity of 
Caesar's wife free even from suspicion." 

(12) Page 247. 

The noble ode of Horace, lib. iii., 30, is a prophecy which 
now can never fail. Ovid, also, in the Epilogue to his Meta- 
morphoses, has a similar burst of assurance in fame. 
Jamque opus exegi ; quod nee Jovis ira, nee ignes, 
Nee poterit ferrum, nee eda.x abolere vetustas ; 
Cum volet ilia dies, quae nil nisi corporis hujus 
Jus habet, incerti spatium mihi finiat sevi : 
Parte tanien meliore mei superalta perennis 
Astra ferar : nomenque erit indelebile nostrum. 
Q,uaque patet domitis Romana potentia terris, 
Ore legar populi ; perque omnia saecula fama 
Si quid habent veri vatum preesagia vivam. 

(13) Page 248. 

Momus, a typification of the force of ridicule, was once 
counted among the hierarchs of heathen mythology : but, as 
he made game of every one, he never found a friend; and 
when at length, in a gush of hypercriticism, he presumed to 
censure the peerless Mother of Beauty for awkwardness in 
walking, the enraged celestials flung him from their sphere, 
and sent the fallen spirit down to men. 



(14) 1 Kinffs vii., 21. Page 271. 

"He set the pillars in the porcti of the temple ; and he set 
up the right pillar, and called the name theref Jachin [He 
shall establish] : and he set up the left pillar ; and called the 
name thereof Boaz [in it is strength]: and upon the top of 
the pillars was lily-work." 

32* 



378 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



(15) Page 272. 

An application of the story of Curtius (as given by Livy, 
lib. vii., 6), who leaped into a gulf, in the forum, because the 
Aruspices had declared that it should never close until the 
most precious thing in Rome, "the strength of the city," had 
been flung into it. We are told that "equo, quam poterat 
maxime ornato, insidentem, armatum se in specum immi- 
sisse." 



(16) Page 274. 

To drink with the throat of Crassus, may well be thought 
to have passed into a proverb for inordinate lust of wealth : 
for Orodes the Parthian, having overthrown him in battle, 
cut off his head, and then, to satirize the insatiable nature 
of his avarice, poured melted gold down his throat. The 
evil dreams of Midas are as famous as his other well-earned 
punishments ; and we are told that he died, in consequence 
of taking too violent a remedy for delivering himself from 
those nightly torments. 

(17) Page 287. 

Mr. Willis, in "Pencillings by the Way," vol. 1., p. 115, 
gives a graphic account of the public burial-ground of 
Naples. * * * '« There are three hundred and sixty-five 
pits in this place, one of which is opened every day for the 
dead of the city. They are thrown in without shroud or 
coffin, and the pit is sealed up at night for a year." * * * 
" And thus are flung into this noisome pit, like beasts, the 
greater p:irtof the population of this vast city, — the young 
and old, the vicious and the virtuous together, without the 
decency even of a r;'g, to keep up the distinctions of life! 
Can human beings thus be thrown away 7 men like ourselves, 
women, children, like our sisters and brothers ? I never was 
so humiliated in my life as by this horrid spectacle. I did 
not think a man — a felon even, or a leper, — what you will, 



SERIES II.J 



NOTES. 



379 



that is guilty or debased, — I did not think anything that had 
been human could be so recklessly abandoned. Pah! It 
makes one sick at heart! God grant I may never die at 
Naples !" 

Truly, this would seem to spoil the proverb, Verdi Napoli, 
poi mori. 

C^8) Page 288. 

Sophocles lived to be nearly a hundred years old, and to 
typify the perpetual fame of their " sweet Attic bee;" the 
Athenians used to decorate his tomb with festoons of flower- 
ing ivy. 

The '' dernier chant de Corinne" of Mad. de Stael (p. 303) 
has this passage : " O vous qui me survivrez ! quand le prin- 
temps reviendra, souvenez vous combien j'airaais sa beauts ; 
que de fois j'ai vante son air et ses parfums ? Rappellez- 
vous quelquefois mes vers, mon ame y est empreinte," &c. 
Her musical spirit desired to " greet the angel of death with 
his white wings, undismayed and gladly ;" she would go 
forth to meet him in a garden of roses. 

So Fidele's grave, in Shakspeare, is to be " sweetened with 
fairest flowers ;" " the pale primrose, the azure harebell, and 
furred moss." 



(19) Page 289. 

Mr. Catlin, in his interesting work on the North American 
tribes, vol. ii., p. 10, alludes to " the usual mode of the Oma- 
has, of depositing their dead in the crotches, and on the 
branches of trees, enveloped in skins," &c. 

Herodotus, Terps. iv., mentions the Thracians also, as 
rejoicing at a death, and mourning at a birth. ToV jjilv 
yevoixevov irepii^ofievoi ol -rrpocrrjKOVTeg oXocpvpovrai, tuvS^ 
dTToyevopeuov Traii^ovTig te Kal liSjfJievoi yfj KpvTrrovciy 
kin\tyovT€S baoiv KaKoJv i^anaWa^Oeis carl. Iv Tracjj 



380 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



evSaiixoviT]. A very enlightened thought for a race other- 
wise represented to be biink in barbarism. 

In Walton's Angler, chap, iv., p. 79, the hearty old man 
says, "I now see it was not without cause, that our good 
Q.ueen Elizabeth did so often wish herself a milkmaid all 
the month of May, because they are not troubled with fears 
and cares, but sing sweetly all the day, and sleep securely all 
the night: and without doubt,, honest, innocent, pretty Maud- 
lin does so too. I'll bestow Sir Thomas Overbury's Milk- 
maid's wish upon her, ' That she may die in the spring, and, 
being dead, may have good store of flowers stuck round 
about her winding sheet.' " Pretty and pastoral, but more 
for Dion's age of the world than our's, even if in those old 
times Arcadia was not more lovely in idea than in reality. 

(20) " Hemmed in hy hostile foes ^the trijler is busied on an 
epigram,y Page 314. 

Even in matters temporal, a literal instance of this occurs 
in the history of Frederick the Great of Prussia, who, during 
the mortal struggles of the seven years' war, frequently occu- 
pied the eve before a battle in the studious composition of 
profane jests, and bad poetry. 



(21) <' jj^Q specified the partridge hy her cry,'''' <§-c. Page 318. 

The Hebrew tongue is known to have many sounds which 
are considered to accord well with their significations , a 

familiar instance of this is the word ^"^P ^^^^2^> partridge, 
meaning " caller," and expressive alike of the bird's nature, 
and of the cry it utters. Jl5^j layclah, night, is another 

instance supposed to be imitative of the nocturnal howling 
of hyenas. 

The whole subject. Names, as indeed many that have pre- 
ceded it, would admit of lengthy annotation, a practice 



SERIES II.J 



NOTES. 



381 



perhaps little praiseworthy; indeed notes of any kind are in 
the nature of an intrusion, and so fir demand apology; it is 
more becoming to be as brief as possible, and trust to the 
intellect of readers : three words only shall be added. An 
example of the "arbitrary name," is Dahlia, so called from a 
Swedish botanist; of the "reasonable name," Sunflower: 
while such an obvious case as Rafflesia Arnoldi (named more 
wisely by the Javanese in their own tongue, Anibun Ambooii, 
to be Englished, " the flower of flowers, or the giant flower"), 
will serve to exemplify the vanity of men, and their super- 
added obstacles to science. 

(22) '' mne Homers ;' Src. Page 323. 

It is true that seven of these have so perished from me- 
mory, that we know nothing of their works ; we only know 
they lived : an eighth, however, he of Hierapolis and one of 
the poetic Pleiades of the age of Philadelphus, is reported to 
have written no less than five-and-forty plays. 

Musasus, a little lower down, is Virgil's tall prophet in the 
Elysian fields, mentioned Mn. vi., 667. 

" MussBum ante omnes ; medium nam plurima turba 
Hiinc habet, atque humeris extantem suspicit altis." 



(23) " Ulysses,'' ^c. Page 326. 

TroXXwi' du6pu)TT03v ISev aatza^ koI voov h'yvco. 

Herodotus frequently makes a distinction between the cer- 
tainty of things which he saw, and things he merely heard 
of Both he and Plato (as well probably as Lycurgus also, 
for he was a renowned traveller) dv^ elt some time at Helio- 
polis mentioned above, and traversed Asia. 

Fine instances of the atmosphere of ungarbled truth being 
necessarily breathed around the wondert^ of nature or art by 
a ])erson on the spot, are furnished, almost passim, in the 
published works of Lieutenant Holman, the blind traveller. 



382 



PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. [series ii. 



(24) " Sons of Mattathias,'" ^c. Page 329. 

John, Simoa, Judas, Eleazar, and Jonathan, who liberated 
Israel from the domination of the Greeks, about b. c. 160 : 
and who were known by the general name of the Maccabees, 
from the initial Hebrew letters of the first four words from 
Ex. XV., 11, being inscribed upon their standard. 

Margaret of Anjou has obtained a just name for heroism 
in history, and was the mainstay of the house of Lancaster 
until the barbarous murders of her son and imbecile husband, 
Henry VL 

A few lines further, it may be necessary to state that the 
seeming anachronism in speaking of Corinthian brass in the 
same breath with Achilles' spear, is one only in appearance : 
for, although that mixt metal is said to have resulted acci- 
dentally from the conflagration of Corinth by the Romans, 
circ. A. c, 150, still, there is better reason to believe that the 
true Corinthian was a mixture of the highest antiquity, and 
analogous to, if not the same thiiig as the metal called 
Aurichalcum. 



(25) " The word for both is one,"" 8rc. Page 336. 

TTLcrig, a derivative from Treidonai, will almost as readily 
bear the sense of obedience, as of persuasion, and of cre- 
dence. I know not whether a similar latent sympathy may 
be thought to exist between our own old English word " faith," 
and the Norman " fait," factum, a deed ; at any rate, the 
coincidence is worth a passing notice. 

(26) Ovid had been wise for winking: Page 342. 

The poet Ovid was exiled for life to the shores of the 
Black Sea for having seen, and indiscreetly divulged, some 
intrigue in the family of Augustus. He complains frequently 
of this hard lot ; for example, 

"Inscia quod crimen viderunt lumina plector 
Peccatumque oculos est habuisse meum." 



SERIES lit] 



NOTES. 



383 



But he might with greater justice have accused his tongue 
than his eyes. 

(27) Page 357. 

Madame de Stael somewhere uses these words: "To enjoy 
ourselves, we must seek solitude. It was in the Bastile that 
I first became acquainted with myself." 

Scipio is reported to have originated the popular sayings, 
"I am never less idle than when I have most leisure," and 
" I am never less alone than when alone." 

The Emperor Charles V., with the example of Diocletiaia 
before him, resigned his crown : and retired from the world 
to the monastery of St. Just at Plazencia in Spain : where, 
as Robertson says, " he buried in solitude and silence his 
grandeur and his ambition." 

(28) Page 361. 

It may be necessary to acquaint the reader that this section 
takes a retrospective glance at my former series of subjects 
treated in the proverbial style ; a brief recapitulation of the 
present volume follows, finishing the work. 



I, 



THE END. 



r 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




